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Mao Zedong (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, writer, political theorist and the founder of the People's Republic of China. He led China primarily as the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from its establishment in October 1949 until his death in September 1976. His theories, which he advocated as a Chinese adaptation of Marxism–Leninism, are known as Maoism.

Born to a peasant family in Shaoshan, Hunan, Mao studied in Changsha and was influenced by the 1911 Revolution and ideas of Chinese nationalism and anti-imperialism. He was introduced to Marxism while working as a librarian at Peking University, and later participated in the May Fourth Movement of 1919. In 1921, Mao became a founding member of the CCP. After the start of the Chinese Civil War, he helped build the Chinese Red Army, and developed a strategy of guerilla warfare. In 1935, Mao became leader of the CCP during the Long March, a military retreat to the Yan'an Soviet in Shaanxi. The CCP allied with the Kuomintang (KMT) in 1937, but the civil war resumed after Japan's surrender in 1945. He defeated the Nationalist government, which withdrew to the island of Taiwan in 1949.

He led land redistribution and industrialisation campaigns, suppressed political opponents, and intervened in the Korean War. From 1958 to 1962, Mao oversaw the Great Leap Forward, a campaign which aimed to collectivise agriculture and industrialise the country, followed by Great Chinese Famine. In 1966, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, which was marked by violent class struggle, destruction of historical artifacts, and Mao's cult of personality. Mao died in 1976. He was initially succeeded by Hua Guofeng, then in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping.

China under his leadership has been portrayed as a totalitarian regime which resulted in millions of deaths, through famine, political persecution, prison labor, and executions. He is credited with transforming China from a semi-colony into a major world power and promoting literacy, women's rights, basic healthcare, education, and an increased life expectancy. He is recognized for his role in ending imperialism and consolidating the state in China. Mao was influential in the international communist movement, inspiring various Maoist organisations.