Maoism

Maoism is a political ideology following the teachings of Mao Zedong. The politics of Maoism are a derivative of communism. The term Marxist-Leninist may be used to describe this type of communist thought, particularly followers living outside of China. Maoist is the terminology utilized to refer to groups that follow Mao Zedong's theories, while some groups call themselves Marxist-Leninist-Maoist (MLM). Within China, Maoism is not the way the political party has labeled itself; instead, the Communist Party of China is the more favored term. Maoism constitutes a brand of socialism that Mao Zedong formulated from his compilation of Marxist and Leninist theories. The intention was to create a political system that would serve the masses. Zedong incorporated his collection of thoughts into Thoughts of Mao Tse-Tung (Zedong). From 1949, Maoism ruled in China, yet the influence of Mao Zedong lasted forty years, from the early 1930s until he died in the mid-1970s.

Brief History

Mao Zedong, also known as Mao Tse-Tung, developed the ideology that came to be known as Maoism. Zedong, who lived from 1893 to 1976, represents the figure at the helm of Communist China. Mao Zedong grew up in rural China. He was born in the village of Shaoshan, in the province of Hunan. His peasant upbringing formed the basis of his worldly perception and had a profound impact on his political views in later years. Zedong's encounter with Marxism began at Peking University, where he was given a job working as an assistant in the library. At the age of twenty-eight, in 1921, he set up the Chinese Communist Party. His peasant experience made him realize that the elite revolutionary unit he believed in was only possible within the peasant group of people, rather than industrially oriented town people.

Zedong enlisted the partnership of Zhou Enlai, and together, they created a revolutionary base bordering his birth province, Hunan. From 1931 to 1934, Zedong established a Chinese Soviet republic in Kiangsi, until he was ousted from there. The Long March involved a passage of time until 1935 when Zedong and his followers reached Shensi. The safety experienced here was at a price as they were at a remote distance from Peking or Beijing, the center of power geographically and politically in China. Mao Zedong developed a system of guerrilla warfare, moving later to battles against the opposing factions, the Kuomintang KMT and Chiang Kai-Shek.

October 1949 marked the date that Mao Zedong was hailed as chairman of the People's Republic of China. He was set to rule for a decade as a head of state. When he relinquished his role to Liu Shao-Chi (sometimes spelled Liu Shaoqi), he retained a position as party chairman. During his leadership, Zedong ventured to introduce land reforms that were radical in order to drastically turn around the state the country was in. In the 1960s, Shao-Chi and Zedong clashed over whether the peasants or industrial workers were the important group. This led ultimately to the Cultural Revolution of 1966 when Zedong was virulent in his siding with the peasant population.

Zedong produced political essays under the banner of "Thoughts," which became required reading for the Chinese. He appealed especially to the younger generation, working to canvass their support. Although he was assisted by Zhou Enlai on foreign issues, Mao Zedong maintained his position as China's leader until his death.

Overview

Maoism in China and Abroad. Maoism was a successful doctrine that entered Chinese politics in 1949. Its goal at the time included overturning imperialist rule, setting up a national economy that would have the power to overthrow imperialist rule, as well as having the ability to establish a viably independent economy at a national level. The masses of students, workers, and peasants were keen to act as anti-imperialists. They enlisted as fighters to protect their homeland, fighting enemy armies including the Japanese.

Maoists and Revolution. A key issue of Maoism is the notion that only peasants, or low-income people, are able to be revolutionaries. Favoring the strength of the poor is oftentimes to the exclusion of the working class. Two of Zedong's controversial policies comprised the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. The Great Leap Forward was an attempt by Zedong to form a mass mobilization of labor forces in line with what he determined to be a type of communism more suitable to the Chinese. The policy was unsuccessful, and instead of enhanced agricultural and industrial production, the country experienced a decline. People were starving, and millions died. Zedong wanted to raise his position again in the eyes of his people and initiated the Cultural Revolution policy in 1966. The intention here was to boost the spirit of revolution with which he was associated, by getting rid of any sense of impurity he perceived to be present. The result was disastrous, with a large number of the population meeting their deaths. The cultural milieu of the country had been ravaged, and anarchy raged.

Zedong, Marxism, and Socialism. Mao Zedong's revolutionary outlook had been cultivated from an early age. The revolution led by Sun Yat-Sen and the tumultuous collapse of the Chi'ing Dynasty were fertilizing points in Zedong's career. His penchant for military leaders and revolution, together with his distaste for China's poverty and the influences of Western involvement, sowed the seed for his political ideology. Zedong's devotion to studying Marxist and Leninist philosophies resulted in the form of socialism that he applied to his native country.

Image of Mao Zedong and Maoism. During his reign, Mao Zedong was hailed as a moderate revolutionary by the Chinese government. Retrospectively, researchers have revealed his brand of revolution was often brutal. Attacks against rival forces or opposing leaders who deviated from his outlook were conducted with strength.

Maoism and Nepal. In 2008, Maoism became the ruling government party in Nepal. The Internationalist Socialist Review suggested three predominant reasons for the resurgence of Maoism in the Global South. The protection Maoism offered to oppressed people is listed as the top cause. Second, as a pursuit of justice, the Maoists are said to have waged a guerilla war for the express purpose of redistributing land to the peasants and advocating for the receipt of farming subsidies. The third reason involves an open resistance to the development of bourgeois capitalism. Maoism, as the Marxist strategy in the Global South, comprises a notion of revolution led via an alliance of workers and peasants who collectively overthrow capitalism.

Maoism and India. The Communist Party of India (Maoist) and other Naxalite groups have continually engaged in violent conflicts and guerrilla warfare with the Indian government. The groups are considered terrorist organizations in India and many other nations, and their efforts to overthrow the government have resulted in many deaths. Though support for the groups continued through the first decades of the twenty-first century, increased anti-terror operations in the mid-2020s successfully limited the group's activities.

Bibliography

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Bhattacharya, Tithi. "Maoism in the Global South." International Socialist Review, 2012, isreview.org/issue/87/maoism-global-south/index.html. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

D'Mello, Bernard. "What Is Marxism?" Monthly Review, 22 Nov. 2009, mronline.org/2009/11/02/what-is-maoism. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

"Mao Zedong (1893-1976)." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic‗figures/mao‗zedong.shtml. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

"Mao Zedong." The History Learning Site, 2015, www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/china-1900-to-1976/mao-zedong. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Mishra, Pankaj. "Today Maoism Speaks to the World's Poor More Fluently than Ever." The Guardian, 19 July 2011, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jul/19/today-maoism-speaks-to-the-poor. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

"Nepal Country Profile." BBC, 15 July 2024, www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12511455. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.