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| <b>Maoism</b> is a political and military doctrine developed by ]. The theory extends the ] theories of ], especially in the area of conducting a peoples' war. Post-Mao, the doctrine has been employed by ] of the Cambodian ], the ] of Peru, and various communist and revolutionary groups in the developed world. | <b>Maoism</b> is a political and military doctrine developed by ]. The theory extends the ] theories of ], especially in the area of conducting a peoples' war. Post-Mao, the doctrine has been employed by ] of the Cambodian ], the ] of Peru, and various communist and revolutionary groups in the developed world. The primary difference between Maoism and earlier forms of ] is the importance of the peasantry as a revolutionary force. | ||
| Ironically, despite being listed as one of the ], the government of the People's Republic of China has discarded | Ironically, despite being listed as one of the ], the government of the People's Republic of China has discarded | ||
Revision as of 18:55, 28 November 2002
Maoism is a political and military doctrine developed by Mao Zedong. The theory extends the communist theories of Marxism-Leninism, especially in the area of conducting a peoples' war. Post-Mao, the doctrine has been employed by Pol Pot of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge, the Shining Path of Peru, and various communist and revolutionary groups in the developed world. The primary difference between Maoism and earlier forms of Marxism-Leninism is the importance of the peasantry as a revolutionary force.
Ironically, despite being listed as one of the four cardinal principles, the government of the People's Republic of China has discarded revolutionary Maoism as an official ideology. Along Mao Zedong himself is regarded in the official history as a great revolutionary leader for his role in fighting the Japanese and creating the People's Republic of China, Maoism as implemented after 1958 is regarded as an economic and political disaster. Specifically, within Chinese Marxist ideology, Maoism is regarded as committing the errors of left deviationism and being based on a cult of personality.
Some, including many in the Chinese democracy movement and human rights activists see many of the repressive aspects of the current PRC government as the result of Maoism.
Some Western scholars argue that China's rapid industrialization and relatively quick recovery from the brutal period of civil wars 1911-1949 was a positive impact of Maoism, and contrast its development specifically to that of Southeast Asia, Russia and India. One argument is that Mao's strong personality and doctrine served the same purpose as American executive and military leadership, and the Marshall Plan, in Europe - an extremely simple theory of the origin of modern continental trading blocs: NAFTA, EU, and China itself.
However, almost all Chinese scholars and most Western scholars disagree. Some conservative scholars, which include most who are sympathetic to the current Chinese government, argue that Maoism was a disaster because it created revolutionary instablity which impeded economic growth. Liberal scholars tend to fault Maoism for its dictatorial and anti-democratic nature.