Mao Zedong: Achievements, Failures, and Lasting Controversy

Few figures in modern history spark as much debate as Mao Zedong. He lifted China from a century of foreign domination and civil war to become an independent nation, yet his policies also led to the deaths of tens of millions of his own people. This article examines the man, his achievements, his catastrophic failures, and why the argument over his legacy remains unresolved both inside and outside China.

Full name: Mao Zedong ·
Born: 26 December 1893, Shaoshan, Hunan, China ·
Died: 9 September 1976, Beijing, China ·
Title: Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (1943–1976) ·
Known for: Founding the People’s Republic of China ·
Cause of death: Heart failure

Six key facts, one pattern: Mao’s life encapsulates a revolution that both liberated and devastated China.

What exactly did Mao Zedong do?

What was Mao Zedong’s early life like?

Mao was born on 26 December 1893 in the rural village of Shaoshan, Hunan, to a prosperous peasant family. He received a classical Confucian education before moving to Changsha, where he was exposed to revolutionary ideas. In 1921, he co-founded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Shanghai, Britannica reports. By the mid-1930s, during the Long March (1934–1935), he emerged as the party’s paramount leader.

What were Mao’s major policies and initiatives?

After defeating the Nationalists in the civil war, Mao proclaimed the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. His most ambitious domestic programs were the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962) and the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). The Great Leap Forward aimed to rapidly industrialise China and collectivise agriculture, but a scholarly analysis published by NUS East Asian Institute (a university research centre) notes it contributed to a catastrophic famine that killed millions. The Cultural Revolution, as described by The National Archives (UK government educational resource), was a political campaign to purge “revisionist” elements and reassert Mao’s authority, resulting in widespread persecution and societal chaos.

What was the Cultural Revolution?

Launched by Mao in 1966, the Cultural Revolution was a decade-long campaign that targeted intellectuals, party officials, and anyone suspected of bourgeois tendencies. According to Britannica, Mao feared China would develop along Soviet lines and initiated the movement to renew revolutionary fervour. The result, as the CCP itself admitted in its 2021 resolution, was “catastrophic” — the official Chinese government website (Gov.cn) states it “caused the Party, the country, and the people to suffer the most serious losses and setbacks since the founding of the PRC.”

When did Mao Zedong die?

Mao died of heart failure on 9 September 1976 in Beijing, aged 82. His death triggered a power struggle that eventually brought Deng Xiaoping to the helm, who shifted China toward economic reform.

The implication: Mao’s actions still define the fault lines of Chinese political memory.

Does China still respect Mao Zedong?

Why do Chinese like Mao Zedong?

Officially, Mao remains a foundational figure. The CCP’s 2021 resolution, published on the Chinese government website, reaffirmed “Mao Zedong Thought” as a guiding ideology alongside Marxism-Leninism. School textbooks portray him as the architect of national independence and land reform. A survey of public opinion by NUS East Asian Institute suggests many older Chinese still revere him as the father of the nation who ended foreign domination.

How is Mao portrayed in Chinese education?

The official narrative is carefully calibrated: Mao is celebrated for the revolution but his later errors are acknowledged in Party documents. The 1981 CCP resolution, cited by NUS East Asian Institute, criticized the Cultural Revolution and shifted focus to economic development, yet maintained that Mao’s overall contributions outweighed his mistakes. Younger Chinese, however, may have more mixed views, shaped by access to global media and the internet.

What this means: China’s official respect for Mao is conditional, selective, and instrumental.

Who tried to assassinate Mao?

What was Project 571?

In 1971, Mao’s designated successor, Lin Biao, along with his wife Ye Qun and son Lin Liguo, allegedly plotted to assassinate Mao. The plan, code-named Project 571 (a homophone for “armed uprising” in Chinese), involved bombing Mao’s train. The details come from historical accounts, but scholarly consensus — including analysis from Britannica — confirms the plot’s existence.

Who were the main conspirators?

The conspiracy centred on Lin Biao, then Vice Chairman and officially Mao’s heir. After the plot reportedly failed, Lin Biao, his wife, and his son attempted to flee the country by plane. The plane crashed in Mongolia on 13 September 1971, killing all on board. The official Chinese version initially claimed the crash was an accident, but later investigations, as recounted by Britannica, confirmed it was a failed escape attempt.

Why was the assassination plot formed?

Lin Biao’s relationship with Mao deteriorated during the Cultural Revolution. Lin, once Mao’s most loyal supporter, grew alarmed by the chaos and the instability of the regime. According to The National Archives, the Cultural Revolution had turned against its own architects, and Lin feared being purged. The plot was an attempt to pre‐empt his own downfall.

What did Mao say about homosexuality?

Are communists pro LGBTQ?

The CCP under Mao had no formal policy on homosexuality, but the regime treated it as a bourgeois vice. Historical documentation of Mao’s personal views is sparse; what exists comes from secondhand reports. The most cited remark is a comment Mao allegedly made during a 1956 meeting, equating homosexuality with “immoral behaviour.” This is cited in academic biographies, but its accuracy is disputed — it falls into the “unclear” category.

How did Mao’s regime treat homosexuals?

Under Mao, homosexuality was not explicitly criminalised at the national level, but local authorities often prosecuted homosexual acts under vague “hooliganism” laws. The National Archives notes that during the Cultural Revolution, anyone deemed “counter‑revolutionary” — including those suspected of homosexual conduct — faced persecution. The CCP’s historical suppression of LGBTQ rights only began to ease after Mao’s death, and full decriminalisation of same‑sex relations did not occur until 1997.

The catch: The official silence on Mao’s personal views mirrors the CCP’s long avoidance of LGBTQ rights.

Was Mao Zedong good or bad?

What are the positive aspects of Mao’s leadership?

Mao’s supporters point to his role in ending the century of humiliation imposed by foreign powers, unifying China under a single government, and redistributing land to millions of poor peasants. Britannica acknowledges that Mao’s revolution achieved China’s sovereignty and gave land to a formerly landless peasantry. Under his leadership, China became a nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

What are the negative legacies of Mao?

The same Britannica assessment emphasises that Mao ran an authoritarian government that quashed dissidence and caused “years of terror, suffering, and famine.” The Great Leap Forward alone is estimated to have caused between 20 and 45 million excess deaths. The Cultural Revolution turned neighbours and family members against each other. The 2021 CCP resolution itself, published on Gov.cn, describes the Cultural Revolution as “catastrophic.”

The pattern: Mao’s achievements in unifying China are inextricable from the human cost of his policies.

Timeline

• 1893 – Born in Shaoshan, Hunan (Wikipedia)
• 1921 – Co‑founded Chinese Communist Party (Wikipedia)
• 1934–1935 – Long March (Wikipedia)
• 1949 – Proclaimed founding of People’s Republic of China (Wikipedia)
• 1958–1962 – Great Leap Forward (NUS East Asian Institute)
• 1966–1976 – Cultural Revolution (The National Archives)
• 1971 – Lin Biao assassination plot (Project 571) (Wikipedia)
• 1976 – Death of Mao Zedong (Wikipedia)

Clarity section

What historians say

“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”

— Mao Zedong

“He was one of the great revolutionary figures of the 20th century, but also responsible for immense suffering.”

— John K. Fairbank, historian

“Mao was responsible for the disastrous policies of the ‘Great Leap Forward’.”

— BBC

Summary

Mao Zedong’s legacy is a paradox: the man who unified China and broke the chains of foreign domination also engineered policies that killed millions and suppressed basic freedoms. The Chinese government continues to honour him as a founder while selectively criticizing his catastrophic errors. For the average Chinese citizen today, the judgment is not about choosing good or bad — it is about living with a history that is both a source of national pride and a painful burden. The debate over Mao will persist as long as China grapples with the balance between stability, freedom, and prosperity.

For a deeper exploration of his complexities, readers may consult this comprehensive guide on Maos legacy which covers his life, policies, and enduring controversies.

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