At a glance
Maoism is a revolutionary communist tradition associated with Mao Zedong, emphasizing peasant mobilization, protracted struggle and continuing class conflict under socialism.
Core principles
- Party leadership; peasant participation; the mass line; revolutionary mobilization; anti-imperialism; opposition to capitalist restoration.
Origins & development
It developed through the Chinese Communist revolution and governance after 1949. The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution profoundly shaped its historical record.
Economic outlook
Collectivization, state ownership and mobilizational planning characterize Mao-era policy. Rural production and self-reliance received greater emphasis than in classical Soviet industrial strategy.
Society & government
It promotes revolutionary social transformation under communist leadership. Campaigns attacked established hierarchies but also produced coercion, persecution and intense concentration of political authority.
Variations & related traditions
Mao Zedong Thought and later Marxism-Leninism-Maoism are related but distinct formulations. Overseas movements adapted Maoist strategy to different rural and colonial settings.
Debates & criticisms
Debates concern revolutionary participation versus party domination. Catastrophic famine, political violence and attacks on education and culture are central criticisms of Mao-era governance.