Mao Zedong's Leadership Style
Revolutionary Ideology and Independence
- Early Alignment with the Soviet Union
- Korean War (1950–1953): Mao sent Chinese troops to support North Korea, aligning with Soviet interests.
- Soviet Influence: Initially, Mao deferred to Stalin, viewing the Soviet Union as the leader of the socialist world.
Mao's decision to enter the Korean War was driven by a desire to protect China's borders and assert its role in global communism.
- Break with the Soviet Union
- Criticism of Khrushchev: Mao opposed Khrushchev's de-Stalinization and perceived lack of revolutionary zeal.
- Sino-Soviet Split: By the late 1950s, Mao pursued an independent foreign policy, rejecting Soviet models.
When analyzing Mao's leadership, consider how his ideologicalcommitment to revolutionoften clashedwith pragmaticneeds, leading to tensionsboth domesticallyand internationally.
Pragmatism and Realpolitik
- Rapprochement with the United States
- 1972: Mao's meeting with Nixon marked a strategic shift, balancing against the Soviet Union.


