After the economic disaster of the Great Leap Forward that claimed tens of millions of lives from 1958–1962, an aging Mao Zedong launched an ambitious scheme to shore up his reputation and eliminate those he viewed as a threat to his legacy. He called this The Cultural Revolution. Trevor and Aaron ask Frank Dikötter about Mao’s legacy and how he came to power, which leads to a larger discussion about the nature of dictatorships.

Where did Mao come from? What is the history of the Communist Party of China? What happened in China during the Great Leap Forward? Why does communism lead to millions of deaths? Why do dictators hate ideology? How unfree is daily life in China?

Further Reading:

How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century, written by Frank Dikötter

Mao’s Little Red Book

The Cultural Revolution: A People’s History, 1962―1976, written by Frank Dikötter

‘The Cultural Revolution: A People’s History, 1962-1976,’ by Frank Dikotter, book review in the New York Times

Related Content:

China: The Annihilation of Human Rights, written by David Hart

Chinese Communism and the Economic Revolution, written by Leonard P. Liggio

Fifty Years after the Cultural Revolution, written by David Boaz

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