This might be a very naive question but I've always wondered why so many Chinese people put Mao in such high regards. Under his rule, China was economically isolated and was an improverish nation. Was it because he led the communists to victory and kicked out the nationalists and the Japanese? I'm not trying to be political because I am far from being competent in that area, but I've always felt that Sun Yet-Sen was a much more liberating figure to China than Mao was.

Prior to his rule, Chia was already an impoverish nation.

And it was not Mao's decision to remain isolated; the world decided to block the Communist China as if Communism is a disease contagious and thus everyone pretend China did not exist.


More like before Mao came, CCP was getting their asses handed to them.

Sun Yat Sen certainly deserved a higher-standing in modern chinese history. However, Mao's influence in PRC continued to be widespread even though today, his legacy had been declining.

The main reason for his 'high regards' in China is because Mao had moulded himself into a 'cult-figure' or a "great leader or hero" in China. Other than being a communist leader, he was famous for being a military figure (in particular for his guerrilla tactics and the improvision of "People's warfare") and skilled in the ability to use propaganda to mobilize the mass in China. He also visionised himself as the leader of 'peasants', which were the majority in China during the old days.

Mao also wanted to differentiate himself from other leaders. Thus, after establishing PRC, he called China a "New China" and made CCP different from KMT in that they have "unified all people and ethnicities in China" and "defeated Imperialism" from the foreign power. Mao certainly made himself a name when he sent in troops to fight against the Americans during the Korean war and scored victory.

Nevetheless, a few disasters such as Great Leap forward, chinese cultural revolution soon proved Mao to be failure in terms of economics management of the country. It was also during his late years that China became increasingly isolated.

Hi all, to put it briefly, Mao did return mainland China to unified Chinese rule for the first time in over 300 years. This stupendous achievement continues to overshadow his failings. I guess Mao is mostly revered for this. Also with the decline of any meaningful spirituality in modern China, I guess he helps fill that void. As for Sun Yat Sen, fate intervened early for him and we would never know what his ultimate legacy would have been.

You mean 50 years?

I don't count warlords, political rivals, colonial powers and occupiers. All obstacles to unifying China pre Mao era. Mao got rid of them.

There seems to be various arguments as to whether Mao did indeed 'unify' China and chase away Imperialism. There are even arguments that chinese communist had led to the separation between mainland China and Taiwan.

Afterall, don't forget that it was the re-surgence of chinese communist that led to chinese civil war from 1945-1949. If it were not for chinese communist, China would already had been unified by 1945 (with no break-away of Taiwan). Ultimately, it was the chinese communist that led to mainland China and Taiwan being broken up, if they have not re-emerged as a powerful force. However, one can equally argue that the chinese nationalist did fail to 'conquer' the chinese communist. In fact, it was their failure that led to mainland China and Taiwan being separated.



Actually, it was NOT Mao but Chiang Kai Shek who was credited with the removal of northern Warlords. Mao was merely credited with defeating Chiang Kai Shek's nationalist forces. To credit this feat to Mao is not correct.

Chiang actually attempted to 'unify' China by force, as seen in his successful northern expedition (and unification of war) against the northern warlords in 1928-1930. He also attempted to conquer the chinese communist from 1930-1936. But alas, Japanese invasion interrupted this plan. Historical events then shifted in favour of the chinese communists after WWII, with the chinese communist gaining more time to get stronger.

The credit on whether CCP got rid of "foreign agression" was true to certain extent as seen in the 'liberation of Shanghai", "Tianjian" which stopped foreign forces from occupying China. Mao basically fought against many of his neighbouring countries during his reign, including American, Russian, India etc.

Yes, I agree but history honours winners and not losers. Just like Sun, Chiang Kai Shek never had the honour of unifying China and never will. History has anointed Mao for this task.

I think perhaps Mao would have considered Chiang and his co-horts as warlords and there would have been warlord type supporters of Chiang in many parts of China.

It seems to be an interesting thing that after all the historical fightings, KMT and CCP are now shaking hands. Afterall, KMT know that they could never re-take mainland China again, and CCP wants to unify Taiwan, preferably by peaceful means. Mao could never imagine Beijing is holding the Olympic in 2008 and that his China, which he envisioned to be a "communist socialist state", is today a capitalist state with "chinese socialism as a cover".

History make a change in China. Afterall, he was the founder of PRC and despite the failures he made, some still honoured him as a 'Great Leader".

Hi all, I think time has shown that communist and extreme socialist thinking has helped change the world for those who have been downtrodden and powerless in the past under various oppressive imperial and capitalist systems. Communism was a modern reaction to something that was seriously wrong with a prevailing political system in the developing modern world. But when things settle down and life is there to be lived and enjoyed it has very little to offer, so communist countries have to change or else have change forced upon them. More like a natural cycle. In the old days peasant revolts performed the same kind of political purging but without the modern ideology. I suspect that communism who reinvent itself in the future to again remove any capitalistic system that over reaches itself and is unable to satisfy the aspirations of the masses in a severe economic or other major crisis. In a thousand years no one will care that China lost it's communist credentials so soon after Mao's death and they will not justify this change in ideological thinking to make him out as a failure. Just like we are not concerned with the politics of the great leaders of the past. His status in history as a great leader is sealed.

When you say 300 years you're completely leaving out the Qing Dynasty.

I would consider the Qing as foreign rulers much like the Yuan. What i said was "unified Chinese rule".

Well I would argue that the Qing is Chinese much like the Yuan. They are not Han, but still "Chinese". There are already two or three topics covering this issue.

Well, it could be argued. But to carry carry your argument further we can then also call Korean, Vietnamese and other minority peoples who lived within the Qing or Mongol empire "Chinese". We are splitting hairs here. Han Chinese during these periods comprised about 90% of the population and were ruled by groups that totaled less than 5% of the population during the Yuan and Qing period that came from territories outside what was generally accepted as China. Was the Great Wall built to exclude these other Chinese living on the other side? If the Japanese conquered China and set up there own Dynasty would we also call them Chinese?

Prior to the Mexican American war, people in California are Mexicans, after the war, they are Americans.

Prior to Qing's rule, they are Manchus who are vassals of Ming, the same way Koreans and Vietnamese are vassals of Ming. Prior to the establishment of Republic of China there were no concept of China except there were Ming, and Qing, and Song, etc etc.

Just b/c the Great Wall was built to exclude someone doesn't mean that group will be excluded for the rest of eternity.

And if Japan decided to rule China as Chinese then we certainly will call them Chinese, but if they decided to rule China as Japanese and make Chinese Japanese then we will call Chinese Japanese.

Because Chairman Mao led Chinese to change China drastically.

Interestingly, we have another topic discussing whether Mao is a hero or villain.

See http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=20