Real Mao Zedong: The Man

¶ … Real Mao Zedong: The Man in the Myth

Mao Zedong is both one of the most influential and one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century. This should not be too surprising; influence often comes with controversy attached. Mao does cut a very intriguing figure, however, as he is both revered and reviled by contemporary scholars. Making sense of the actual human being behind the powerful leader of the victorious revolutionary army during the Chinese civil war and the subsequent supreme ruler of China for a period of several decades can be difficult. The layers of propaganda both support and denigrating Mao make ascertaining the truth about his achievements and his actions nearly impossible. Even when certain actions are known, discerning Mao Zedong's true intentions and beliefs is rarely as simple as it would seem on the surface.

Mao is known as a fierce political and military leader as well as a philosopher and poet -- along with many other far less glorious titles, such as despotic dictator and mass murderer. Because of the amount and popularity of his own published works, it might be thought that determining his opinions, intentions, and motives for individual acts might be simpler. His words were used for heavily propagandized purposes, however, and are open to some degree of interpretation, making even an analysis on these grounds somewhat suspect. The surest way to develop a picture of the man behind the mythic and almost godlike figure that Mao has become (largely as a result of his own purposeful development of his public image) is to examine the actions it is known that he took and the words he is known to have said or written as a whole, and from there deduce the possible motives and intentions behind certain actions, and the reasons these motives and intentions might have existed in the first place. Such a broad view is necessary to develop a picture of the changing man that Mao was.

Such a broad view also requires extensive research and reflection, and we are lucky to have the scholarship of Roderick MacFarquhar in his book the Politics of China: The Eras of Mao and Deng, which analyzes the political life of Chairman Mao and goes a long way in revealing the man that existed behind the power and the myth. The opening essay of the book notes that by September of 1956, the Communist Party could claim near-complete unification and single-mindedness, as well as complete domination over the government and military operations of China, and a large and growing hold on the social infrastructure as well. At the head of the party and the country was Chairman Mao. This fact alone is a testament to the charisma that Mao possessed.

Attaining and keeping power during the tumultuous time in China during which Mao lived and ascended to supreme power required much brokering of deals and the ability to negotiate with many different people and keep them all happy and loyal. This was no mean feat, and the fact that anyone was able to do so for the length of time Mao Zedong did is a huge indicator of is character. Mao had an ability to convince other people to remain with him. Not all of this can be put down to simple charisma, however; Mao also knew what to do with people's loyalty, and in fact a large part of his success as a leader can be attributed to the breadth and scope of his plans. His vision helped to inspire the loyalty that quickly grew in those around him.

At the same time that Mao was able to inspire loyalty, he did not shy away from crushing any perceived disloyalty. Especially after he came into power, it was not his charisma or his strategic brilliance that fully earned him loyalty, but also his use of force. Often, he was proven correct in his decisions despite opposition, but his tactics were questionable at the least.

The first decade or so of Mao Zedong's rule, as neatly overviewed in the first essay of MacFarquhar's book, paints a picture of Mao that in large measure incorporates both of the extreme visions tat persist about him today. There is the brilliance and wisdom with which many of his decisions are made, tempered by the violence and unilateral nature of many of these same decisions. There is some truth in the belief that such smart and charismatic leadership must have come from a spirit and mind tat at least glimpsed nobility even if it did not possess it; surely, Mao's intention was not pure self-aggrandizement but the further growth of his native country and its people. The excessive zeal with which he pursued this end became the real issue that cast significant shadows on his character. His surety in most matters and his complete domination of the political and military powers led to an often arrogant dismissal of the opinions, needs, and even lives of others, which cannot be considered noble for any end, no matter how many people such acts could serve with good purpose.

Mao did not agree with this standard sentiment, or indeed with the usual way of running things at all. He wanted the government to move as quickly as his own mind did, and this led to many frustrations on his part. A later essay in MacFarquhar's collection of scholarship on Mao and the period of his rule describes his inability -- or more likely, unwillingness -- to accept the fact that bureaucracies, especially those as large as China's national government, move sluggishly, and often with good reason. Though Mao was the very exemplar of determination, he was often somewhat lacking in the attribute of patience required of leaders. This turned out not to be as large a detriment as might be expected, however.