Mao,Maoism and China: A review essay

Abstract

In the years since Mao's death, his thought has been undergoing a constant reappraisal both inside and outside of China. Both Womack and Martin's works can be seen as part of this re-evaluation, although their foci and standpoints are quite different. In tracing the evolution of Mao's thought from 1917 to 1935, Womack attempts to demonstrate how and why Mao's thought cannot be understood out of context while Martin, on the other hand, attempts to demonstrate how and why the various elements within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have tried to do just that in post-Liberation China. In the process, both works provide insight into Mao's understanding of the relationship between leaders and led and the transformation of this paradigm during Mao's lifetime and after.