Mao Zedong Thought was one of the most influential ideologies of the 20th Century, and is arguably still having a huge effect on China and the rest of the world today. In this episode, Edi and Emily discuss the origins of Mao Zedong Thought by tracing Mao's life from his origins as a country boy fascinated with Chinese traditional culture and monarchist heroes, to his rise as leader of the CCP, and everything in between.

We answer some important questions such as whether Mao is a true Marxist, and to what extent could he be considered a feminist? We also debate whether the 'Great Man Theory' can be applied to Mao, and if it's even a valuable theoretical framework in the first place.

Part two of this topic will cover the Long March and the first few years of the CCP at their Yan'an base, which explains Mao's rise to power in more detail.

Emily Matson is a PhD student in the Corcoran History Department, University of Virginia. Her focus is on modern East Asian history, and her areas of interest include Sino-Japanese relations, China's national identity, and Chinese patriotic education.

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