His Early Years
Mao was born on the 26th of December, 1893 in the small rural, peasant village of Shaoshan in the Hunan Province, he was the eldest of four children His father Mao Yichang was born in the poverty stricken village, and had only two years of education before he joined the army in his late teenage years. When he later returned to his village he became a farmer and married Wen Qimei in his early 20's.
Together Mao and Wen had four children, three sons Zedong, Zemin and Zetan and an adopted daughter Zejian. Later Mao Zedong described his father as strict man, who disciplined his children for their wrong-doings.
Mao's father who appreciated his two years of basic education, sent Mao age 8, to the local primary school until he graduated at age 13. in the year after Mao had finished school, his father had arranged for him to marry 17 year old Luo Yigu, the daughter of a local farmer. The marriage benefited both Mao Yichang and Luo's father as they united their properties, allowing them to grow different types of produce.
Young Mao never lived with Luo and refused to recognise her as his wife, later in his life becoming an critic against arranged marriages. Luo was disgraced in the village and was sent to live with a Mao's parents, when Mao moved away to live with . She later died of dysentry in 1910.
Working on his father's farm, Mao read in his spare time, studying works conveying China's deterioration of power over east Asia. During this time he looked up to George Washington and the power he had over his country, and aspired to be like him.
In 1911 Mao convinced his father to allow him to attend middle school in Changsha. During his schooling the Xinhai Revolution broke out with students advocating republicanism, over the current monarchy system. The revolution being led by Sun Yat-sen. Mao became involved with the revolution when he read Sun's newspaper article The People's Independence (Minli bao). Inspired by Sun's republicanism, Mao joined the army (as a private soldier but was never involved in any conflict) which rose up against the emperor of Southern China, sparking the Xinhai Revolution. The monarchy was abolished, to create the Republic of China on the 1st of January 1912, but Sun Yat-sen was not president but former monarchist general Yaun Shikai was proclaimed president. Mao resigned form the army in 1912, after just six months as a soldier.
Together Mao and Wen had four children, three sons Zedong, Zemin and Zetan and an adopted daughter Zejian. Later Mao Zedong described his father as strict man, who disciplined his children for their wrong-doings.
Mao's father who appreciated his two years of basic education, sent Mao age 8, to the local primary school until he graduated at age 13. in the year after Mao had finished school, his father had arranged for him to marry 17 year old Luo Yigu, the daughter of a local farmer. The marriage benefited both Mao Yichang and Luo's father as they united their properties, allowing them to grow different types of produce.
Young Mao never lived with Luo and refused to recognise her as his wife, later in his life becoming an critic against arranged marriages. Luo was disgraced in the village and was sent to live with a Mao's parents, when Mao moved away to live with . She later died of dysentry in 1910.
Working on his father's farm, Mao read in his spare time, studying works conveying China's deterioration of power over east Asia. During this time he looked up to George Washington and the power he had over his country, and aspired to be like him.
In 1911 Mao convinced his father to allow him to attend middle school in Changsha. During his schooling the Xinhai Revolution broke out with students advocating republicanism, over the current monarchy system. The revolution being led by Sun Yat-sen. Mao became involved with the revolution when he read Sun's newspaper article The People's Independence (Minli bao). Inspired by Sun's republicanism, Mao joined the army (as a private soldier but was never involved in any conflict) which rose up against the emperor of Southern China, sparking the Xinhai Revolution. The monarchy was abolished, to create the Republic of China on the 1st of January 1912, but Sun Yat-sen was not president but former monarchist general Yaun Shikai was proclaimed president. Mao resigned form the army in 1912, after just six months as a soldier.