Main content

Mao Zedong Part 1: Peasant鈥檚 Son, Communist Rebel

In 1893, Mao is born. As a child on his family farm, he will consume books & ideas.

In the centre of China鈥檚 capital city, Beijing, lies a corpse that no one dares remove. It鈥檚 been 44 years since Mao Zedong鈥檚 body was laid to rest in the grandiose Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. He may be gone but he is not forgotten. To some, he鈥檚 the father of modern China. To many others, he鈥檚 a sadistic thug - a man willing to sacrifice millions of lives in pursuit of power. Mao Zedong is born in Hunan Province in 1893. Growing up on his father鈥檚 farm, he consumes books and ideas. His rise to the top of the Communist Party will be littered with violent outbursts, setting the tone for the decades to come.

From Noiser, this is Real Dictators. This is part 1 of 3 of the Mao Zedong story.

Narrated by Paul McGann, written by Joel Duddell

Release date:

Available now

45 minutes