A revolutionary hero or a brutal despot? Mao Zedong has one of the most recognisable portraits on Earth. How did he rise to become the founder of the People’s Republic of China? 

** Binge all six episodes of the series on Chairman Mao by joining the Empire Club today at empirepoduk.com. **

A child born in a rural village, Mao hated the Confucian traditions he grew up with. He read profusely and rebelled against his father. But how did his early life shape him into the dictator he would become?

William and Anita are joined by the brilliant Rana Mitter, author of A Bitter Revolution: China’s Struggle with the Modern World, Modern China: A Very Short Introduction and China’s War with Japan 1937-1945, The Struggle for Survival (or Forgotten Ally, China’s World War II) to discuss the origin story of Mao Zedong. 

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Editor: James Clayden

Researcher: Imogen Marriott

Assistant Producer: Alfie Norris

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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