Founder of the People’s Republic of China and central figure of the Chinese Communist revolution. His rule reshaped China through mass mobilisation, ideological campaigns, war, and political upheaval.

Born in Hunan, Mao rose from organizer to paramount leader through the Long March, united front warfare, and civil war victory. After 1949, he pursued rapid industrial and social transformation. The Great Leap Forward (1958-62) precipitated famine and economic collapse; the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) dismantled institutions and persecuted elites. Internationally, Mao split with Moscow and later opened to Washington, recasting Cold War alignments. His portrait still presides over Tiananmen; his legacy remains foundational, contested, and instrumentalized.