Mao Zedong dies. Mao Zedong, the father of the Chinese revolution, dies at the age of 83. In 1934, during the long civil war with the Nationalists, Mao managed to break through enemy lines, leading his followers on the “Long March” into northern China. There, he reunited the Red Army and fought against the Japanese invaders. In 1945, the civil war reignited, ending in 1949 with the defeat of the Nationalists and the statesman’s proclamation of the People’s Republic of China. As Chairman, Mao promoted the so-called “Great Leap Forward” and the Cultural Revolution, programs that reformed the Chinese economy and society but cost millions of lives. The country has always remained loyal to him, and Mao is considered one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. He was succeeded by Deng Xiaoping. Mao left behind a China more united and compact than it had been in centuries, but still not economically developed, but Deng Xiaoping would work towards this…
