Mao Zedong: Difference between revisions
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==Death== | ==Death== | ||
Mao had been in poorer health for several years and had declined visibly for at least six months prior to his death. There are unconfirmed reports that he possibly had ALS or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gehrig%27s_disease Lou Gehrig's disease]. | Mao had been in poorer health for several years and had declined visibly for at least six months prior to his death. There are unconfirmed reports that he possibly had ALS or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gehrig%27s_disease Lou Gehrig's disease]. Mao's last public appearance was on May 27, 1976, where he met the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulfikar_Ali_Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto] during the latter's one-day visit to Beijing. | ||
At around 5:00 pm on September 2, 1976, Mao suffered a heart attack, far more severe than his previous two and affecting a much larger area of his heart. X-rays indicated that his current lung infection had worsened. Three days later, on September 5, Mao's condition was critical, and Hua Guofeng called his wife, Jiang Qing, back from her trip. | At around 5:00 pm on September 2, 1976, Mao suffered a heart attack, far more severe than his previous two and affecting a much larger area of his heart. X-rays indicated that his current lung infection had worsened. Three days later, on September 5, Mao's condition was critical, and Hua Guofeng called his wife, Jiang Qing, back from her trip. She visited him before returning to her own residence in the Spring Lotus Chamber. | ||
He was taken off life support and was pronounced dead at 12:10 am on September 9, 1976. September 9 was chosen as the day to let Mao die because it was seen as an easy day to remember, being the ninth day of the ninth month of the calendar. | He was taken off life support and was pronounced dead at 12:10 am on September 9, 1976. September 9 was chosen as the day to let Mao die because it was seen as an easy day to remember, being the ninth day of the ninth month of the calendar. | ||
His body lay in state at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hall_of_the_People Great Hall of the People]. A memorial service was held in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square Tiananmen Square] on September 18, 1976. There was a three-minute silence observed during this service. His body was later placed into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Mao_Zedong Mausoleum of Mao Zedong], though he had expressed a wish to be cremated and had been one of the first high-ranking officials to sign the "Proposal that all Central Leaders be Cremated after Death" in November 1956. | His body lay in state at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hall_of_the_People Great Hall of the People]. A memorial service was held in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square Tiananmen Square] on September 18, 1976. There was a three-minute silence observed during this service. His body was later placed into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Mao_Zedong Mausoleum of Mao Zedong], though he had expressed a wish to be cremated and had been one of the first high-ranking officials to sign the "Proposal that all Central Leaders be Cremated after Death" in November 1956. | ||
After Mao's death, there was a power struggle for control of China. On one side was the left wing led by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_Four_%28China%29 Gang of Four], who wanted to continue the policy of revolutionary mass mobilization. On the other side was the right wing opposing these policies. Among the latter group, the right wing restorationists, led by Chairman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Guofeng Hua Guofeng], advocated a return to central planning along the Soviet model, whereas the right wing reformers, led by Deng Xiaoping, wanted to overhaul the Chinese economy based on market-oriented policies and to de-emphasize the role of Maoist ideology in determining economic and political policy. Eventually, the reformers won control of the government. Deng Xiaoping, with clear seniority over Hua Guofeng, defeated Hua in a bloodless power struggle a few years late | After Mao's death, there was a power struggle for control of China. On one side was the left wing led by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_Four_%28China%29 Gang of Four], who wanted to continue the policy of revolutionary mass mobilization. On the other side was the right wing opposing these policies. Among the latter group, the right wing restorationists, led by Chairman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Guofeng Hua Guofeng], advocated a return to central planning along the Soviet model, whereas the right wing reformers, led by Deng Xiaoping, wanted to overhaul the Chinese economy based on market-oriented policies and to de-emphasize the role of Maoist ideology in determining economic and political policy. Eventually, the reformers won control of the government. Deng Xiaoping, with clear seniority over Hua Guofeng, defeated Hua in a bloodless power struggle a few years late | ||