Radicalization of Mao Zedong's Political Thought

The Chinese Revolution in 1949 altered the structure of Chinese society both in the immediate by shifting from the previous regime to a Communist system and in the long term in efforts to alter the degree to which Chinese traditions would be followed or changed. After the Revolution, efforts at changing society were undertaken in a more methodical and all-inclusive manner, and many traditional institutions were either dismantled, prohibited, or downgraded in the effort to modernize and to bring about a new political and social attitude on the part of the people. These efforts had varying results and were of varying degrees of effectiveness. Some traditional institutions persisted in spite of Communist efforts to stamp them out, while other areas of the society were changed completely. The regime faced certain fundamental needs in 1949 that helped determine what order would be taken in making changes in Chinese society, and the most pressing need was for economic development and particularly industrialization. It was in fact one of the primary reasons for the Revolution itself. The strategy undertaken was known as "self-reliance" as the industrial development, which has

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agricultural sector had to increase, and some thought that incentives and the opportunity to buy more consumer goods would be enough to spur Chinese peasants to increase production. Mao's answer was to heighten production through the use of moral incentives and mass mobilization under the direction of inspirational local party leaders. The debate over a growth strategy took place at a time when the relations between China and the Soviet Union were in growing doubt. The Soviets were making the Chinese may more than expected for aid in their industrial development, and this was in fact one of the main reasons China needed more income from agricultural production--to pay the Soviets. The Soviets at the time were showing greater and greater technological expertise with missile tests and the launching of rockets into space, leaving the Chinese all the further behind. Mao was troubled during this period by the fact that his revolution was moving into a new phase, a less radical phase, a phase of long-range planning that involved more caution than could please Mao. His radical thought had always depended on the working of the human will and the power of the masses. He believed that the peasants had fallen into bad habits of indiv
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, Chinese Revolution, Five-Anti Campaign, China Chinese, Soviet Union, Chinese Mao, China CCP, Mao Zedong's, Red Guard, leap forward, economic development, late 1950s, spence 1990, chinese society, mobilize masses, soviet union, soviets chinese, cultural revolution, traditional institutions,
Approximate Word count = 1466
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)