Mao Zedong

Chairman Mao Zedong
毛泽东
Official portrait of Mao Zedong which hangs at Tiananmen
1st Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
In office June 19, 1945 – September 9, 1976
1st vice-chairman	Liu Shaoqi Lin Biao Zhou Enlai Hua Guofeng
Preceded by	Himself (as Central Politburo Chairman)
Succeeded by	Hua Guofeng
1st Chairman of the Central Politburo of the Communist Party of China
In office March 20, 1943 – April 24, 1969
Preceded by	Zhang Wentian (as Central Committee General Secretary)
Succeeded by	Himself (as Central Committee Chairman)
1st Chairman of the People's Republic of China
In office September 27, 1954 – April 27, 1959
Premier	Zhou Enlai
Deputy	Zhu De
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Liu Shaoqi
Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission
In office August 23, 1945 – September 21, 1949 September 8, 1954 – September 9, 1976
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Hua Guofeng
1st Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC
In office September 21, 1949 – December 25, 1954 Honorary Chairman December 25, 1954 – September 9, 1976
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Zhou Enlai
Member of the National People's Congress
In office September 15, 1954 – April 18, 1959 December 21, 1964 – September 9, 1976
Constituency	Beijing At-large
Personal details
Born	(1893-12-26)December 26, 1893 Shaoshan, Hunan, China
Died	September 9, 1976(1976-09-09) (aged 82) Beijing, China
Resting place	Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Beijing, China
Nationality	Chinese
Political party	Communist Party of China
Other political affiliations	Kuomintang (1925–1926)
Spouse(s)	Luo Yixiu (1907–1910) Yang Kaihui (1920–1930) He Zizhen (1930–1937) Jiang Qing (1939–1976)
Children	10
Alma mater	Hunan First Normal University
Occupation	Revolutionary, statesman
Signature

Mao Zedong
"Mao Zedong" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese	毛泽东
Traditional Chinese	毛澤東
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Máo Zédōng Wade–Giles Mao2 Tse2-tung1 IPA [mǎu̯ tsɤ̌.tʊ́ŋ] Wu Suzhounese Máu Zéh-ton Hakka Romanization Mô Chhe̍t-tûng Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Mòuh Jaahk-dūng Jyutping Mou4 Zaak6-dung1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Mô͘ Te̍k-tong Tâi-lô Môo Ti̍k-tang

Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-tung (ⁱ/ˈmaʊ zəˈdʊŋ, dzə-/; December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the People's Republic of China, which he ruled as an styled the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949, until his death in 1976. His Marxist–Leninist theories, military strategies, and political policies are collectively known as Maoism or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

Born the son of a wealthy farmer in Shaoshan, Hunan, Mao adopted a Chinese nationalist and anti-imperialist outlook in early life, particularly influenced by the events of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and May Fourth Movement of 1919. Mao adopted Marxism–Leninism while working at Peking University and became a founding member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), leading the Autumn Harvest Uprising in 1927. During the Chinese Civil War between the Guomindang (GMD) and the CPC, Mao helped to found the Red Army, led the Jiangxi Soviet's radical land policies and ultimately became head of the CPC during the Long March. Although the CPC temporarily allied with the GMD under the United Front during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), after Japan's defeat China's civil war resumed and in 1949 Mao's forces defeated the Nationalists who withdrew to Taiwan.