Vejas Liulevicius

This was in part Mao's way, whose ambition was great, to put himself at the head of a successful international movement and to be the successor to Stalin, whose role he both admired and resented from having to be the junior partner

This was in part Mao's way, whose ambition was great, to put himself at the head of a successful international movement and to be the successor to Stalin, whose role he both admired and resented from having to be the junior partner

To take an example of a masterwork in a major milestone in the history of communism, the Polish philosopher Leszek Kowalski, who was at first a committed communist and then later became disillusioned and wrote a three-volume study of Marxist thought called Currents of Marxism, in that book—

To take an example of a masterwork in a major milestone in the history of communism, the Polish philosopher Leszek Kowalski, who was at first a committed communist and then later became disillusioned and wrote a three-volume study of Marxist thought called Currents of Marxism, in that book—

To take an example of a masterwork in a major milestone in the history of communism, the Polish philosopher Leszek Kowalski, who was at first a committed communist and then later became disillusioned and wrote a three-volume study of Marxist thought called Currents of Marxism, in that book—

When he reaches Maoism, Kowakowski essentially throws up his hands and says, like, it's hard to even know what to do with this because putting the peasantry in the vanguard role is something that is already at variance with the original design. But Marx says this is an improved version. This is an adapted and truer version of Marxism for the Chinese context. Right.

When he reaches Maoism, Kowakowski essentially throws up his hands and says, like, it's hard to even know what to do with this because putting the peasantry in the vanguard role is something that is already at variance with the original design. But Marx says this is an improved version. This is an adapted and truer version of Marxism for the Chinese context. Right.

When he reaches Maoism, Kowakowski essentially throws up his hands and says, like, it's hard to even know what to do with this because putting the peasantry in the vanguard role is something that is already at variance with the original design. But Marx says this is an improved version. This is an adapted and truer version of Marxism for the Chinese context. Right.

In case after case in Mao's rise to power, we see a really complicated relationship with Stalin, right?

In case after case in Mao's rise to power, we see a really complicated relationship with Stalin, right?

In case after case in Mao's rise to power, we see a really complicated relationship with Stalin, right?

He works hard to gain Stalin's support because the Comintern, the international organization headquartered in Moscow, working to encourage and help revolutionaries worldwide, is skeptical about the Chinese communists to begin with and believes that China still has a long way to go before it's reached the stage where it's ripe for communist revolution.

He works hard to gain Stalin's support because the Comintern, the international organization headquartered in Moscow, working to encourage and help revolutionaries worldwide, is skeptical about the Chinese communists to begin with and believes that China still has a long way to go before it's reached the stage where it's ripe for communist revolution.

He works hard to gain Stalin's support because the Comintern, the international organization headquartered in Moscow, working to encourage and help revolutionaries worldwide, is skeptical about the Chinese communists to begin with and believes that China still has a long way to go before it's reached the stage where it's ripe for communist revolution.

And in a way, that's more orthodox Marxism than what Mao is championing. Mao chafes under Stalin's acknowledged leadership of international communism as a movement. And in 1950, when Mao goes to visit Stalin again,

And in a way, that's more orthodox Marxism than what Mao is championing. Mao chafes under Stalin's acknowledged leadership of international communism as a movement. And in 1950, when Mao goes to visit Stalin again,

And in a way, that's more orthodox Marxism than what Mao is championing. Mao chafes under Stalin's acknowledged leadership of international communism as a movement. And in 1950, when Mao goes to visit Stalin again,

in Moscow in order to sign a treaty of cooperation, he's left waiting for days and days and days in a snub that is meant to show him that you're just not as important as you might think you are. And then when Stalin dies in 1953, Mao feels the moment is ready for him to step into the leadership position surpassing the Soviet Union.

in Moscow in order to sign a treaty of cooperation, he's left waiting for days and days and days in a snub that is meant to show him that you're just not as important as you might think you are. And then when Stalin dies in 1953, Mao feels the moment is ready for him to step into the leadership position surpassing the Soviet Union.

in Moscow in order to sign a treaty of cooperation, he's left waiting for days and days and days in a snub that is meant to show him that you're just not as important as you might think you are. And then when Stalin dies in 1953, Mao feels the moment is ready for him to step into the leadership position surpassing the Soviet Union.