Mao Zedong - From peasants' son to communist revolutionary (1/3) | DW Documentary
From peasants' son to revolutionary leader — Mao Zedong laid the foundation for modern China. This three-part documentary offers an in-depth look at one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. *Part 2 & 3 coming soon!*Part 2: Available from 10 October 2026
Part 3: Available from 17 October 2026
The legacy of the "founding father" of the People's Republic of China remains deeply controversial. Revered in Europe as a revolutionary icon in the late 1960s, Mao led China to the brink of disaster and ultimately clung to power with a regime of terror. Yet today's leaders in Beijing continue to draw on the cult of Mao. China is now a global power, a transformation that would be difficult to imagine without Mao Zedong.
When Mao Zedong was born in 1893, nothing hinted at his meteoric rise to power. The son of a farming family, he grew up during a period of political instability and profound social upheaval. The 1911 Revolution, which marked the beginning of the end of imperial rule, awakened his mind to politics. At first, Mao had no clear political program. But the Russian Revolution of 1917 introduced him to Marxist ideas, and he soon became a co-founder of the Communist Party of China.
Mao rose steadily through the party ranks as conflict with the nationalist Kuomintang party intensified into a bloody civil war. The devastating retreat that became known as the "Long March" went down in history to become the foundation of the cult of Mao. After World War II, the struggle for power in China continued until Mao and his forces finally reached Beijing.
This three-part series traces Mao Zedong's journey from peasants' son to revolutionary and architect of modern China — from his rural childhood to the founding of the People's Republic to the devastating impact of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, which claimed millions of lives.
Archival footage, as well as interviews with historians and eyewitnesses, tell the story of the man who changed China forever.
#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs
______
DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.
Subscribe to:
⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocarabia
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/@dwdochindi
⮞ DW Dokumenter (Indonesian): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDokumenter
⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDoku
For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental
We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G Receive SMS online on sms24.me
TubeReader video aggregator is a website that collects and organizes online videos from the YouTube source. Video aggregation is done for different purposes, and TubeReader take different approaches to achieve their purpose.
Our try to collect videos of high quality or interest for visitors to view; the collection may be made by editors or may be based on community votes.
Another method is to base the collection on those videos most viewed, either at the aggregator site or at various popular video hosting sites.
TubeReader site exists to allow users to collect their own sets of videos, for personal use as well as for browsing and viewing by others; TubeReader can develop online communities around video sharing.
Our site allow users to create a personalized video playlist, for personal use as well as for browsing and viewing by others.
@YouTubeReaderBot allows you to subscribe to Youtube channels.
By using @YouTubeReaderBot Bot you agree with YouTube Terms of Service.
Use the @YouTubeReaderBot telegram bot to be the first to be notified when new videos are released on your favorite channels.
Look for new videos or channels and share them with your friends.
You can start using our bot from this video, subscribe now to Mao Zedong - From peasants' son to communist revolutionary (1/3) | DW Documentary
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a free video sharing website that makes it easy to watch online videos. You can even create and upload your own videos to share with others. Originally created in 2005, YouTube is now one of the most popular sites on the Web, with visitors watching around 6 billion hours of video every month.
