Mao Zedong - From peasants' son to communist revolutionary (1/3) | DW Documentary

From peasants' son to revolutionary leader — Mao Zedong laid the foundation for modern China. This three-part documentary offers an in-depth look at one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. *Part 2 & 3 coming soon!*

Part 2: Available from 10 October 2026
Part 3: Available from 17 October 2026

The legacy of the "founding father" of the People's Republic of China remains deeply controversial. Revered in Europe as a revolutionary icon in the late 1960s, Mao led China to the brink of disaster and ultimately clung to power with a regime of terror. Yet today's leaders in Beijing continue to draw on the cult of Mao. China is now a global power, a transformation that would be difficult to imagine without Mao Zedong.

When Mao Zedong was born in 1893, nothing hinted at his meteoric rise to power. The son of a farming family, he grew up during a period of political instability and profound social upheaval. The 1911 Revolution, which marked the beginning of the end of imperial rule, awakened his mind to politics. At first, Mao had no clear political program. But the Russian Revolution of 1917 introduced him to Marxist ideas, and he soon became a co-founder of the Communist Party of China.

Mao rose steadily through the party ranks as conflict with the nationalist Kuomintang party intensified into a bloody civil war. The devastating retreat that became known as the "Long March" went down in history to become the foundation of the cult of Mao. After World War II, the struggle for power in China continued until Mao and his forces finally reached Beijing.

This three-part series traces Mao Zedong's journey from peasants' son to revolutionary and architect of modern China — from his rural childhood to the founding of the People's Republic to the devastating impact of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, which claimed millions of lives.

Archival footage, as well as interviews with historians and eyewitnesses, tell the story of the man who changed China forever.

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