The Thought of Mao Tse-Tung (Contemporary China Institute Publications)

The most general and probably the most lasting expression of Mao Tse-Tung's contribution to the Chinese revolution was his thought. Stuart Schram's new book examines the unfolding of Mao's ideas, and in doing so sheds new light on other aspects of Mao Tse-Tung's life and times. The author traces the stages in the formation of Mao's thought from the May Fourth period through the Peasant Movement, the long years of armed struggle against the Kuomintang and the Japanese invaders, the foundation of a new state, his efforts to devise a "Chinese road to socialism," the Sino-Soviet split, and the so-called "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution." The author offers a fascinating and sure-footed analysis of Mao's intellectual itinerary, recognizing the positive value of the participatory and anti-bureaucratic thrust of his thought, and of his efforts to link Marxism with Chinese reality. This authoritative text is drawn from Volumes 13 and 15 of The Cambridge History of China, with the addition of a new Introduction and Conclusion written especially for the volume. The most general and probably the most lasting expression of Mao Tse-tung's contribution to the Chinese revolution was his thought. Stuart Schram's new book examines the unfolding of Mao's ideas, and in so doing sheds light on other aspects of Mao Tse-tung's life and times.The author traces the stages in the formation of Mao's thought from the May Fourth period through the peasant movement, the long years of armed struggle against the Kuomintang and the Japanese invaders, the foundation of a new state, his efforts to devise a 'Chinese road to socialism', the Sino-Soviet split, and the so-called 'Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution'. Professor Schram offers in this book a fascinating and sure-footed analysis of Mao's intellectual itinerary, recognizing the positive value of the participatory and anti-bureaucratic thrust of his thought, and of his efforts to link Marxism with Chinese reality, but underscoring also the irrationality of Mao's Great Leap strategy, and the destructive consequences of the personality cult, which led in the end to a combination of anarchy and despotism. The most general and probably the most lasting expression of Mao Tse-tung's contribution to the Chinese revolution was his thought. Stuart Schram's book examines the unfolding of Mao's ideas, and in so doing sheds light on other aspects of Mao Tse-tung's life and times. The author traces the stages in the formation of Mao's thought from the May Fourth period through the peasant movement, the long years of armed struggle against the Kuomintang and the Japanese invaders, the foundation of a new state, his efforts to devise a 'Chinese road to socialism', the Sino-Soviet split, and the so-called 'Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution'. Professor Schram offers a fascinating and sure-footed analysis of Mao's intellectual itinerary, recognizing the positive value of the participatory and anti-bureaucratic thrust of his thought, and of his efforts to link Marxism with Chinese reality, but underscoring also the irrationality of the Great Leap strategy, and the destructive consequences of the personality cult, which led in the end to a combination of anarchy and despotism Mao Tse-tung's Thought To 1949 -- From The Student Movement To The Peasant Movement 1917-1927 -- Party, Army And Masses 1927-1937 -- National Contradictions And Social Contradictions 1937-1940 -- The Triumph Of Mao Tse-tung's Thought 1941-1949 -- Conclusion: Toward A People's Democratic Modernizing Autocracy? -- Mao Tse-tung's Thought From 1949 To 1976 -- From People's Democracy To Contradictions Among The People -- Mao's Search For A 'chinese Road' -- Causes And Consequences Of The Sino-soviet Split -- The Ideology Of The Cultural Revolution -- In Search Of Mao Tse-tung's Ideological Legacy. Stuart Schram. Includes Bibliographical References.