Class Struggle Theory and the Mass Line: “Marxism” According to Mao Zedong

Mao ZedongStruggle oftenMarxism used the terms "classClass" and "massesMasses" or "people"The People"," which were some of his most important concepts in the revolutionary struggleRevolutionary struggle. However, his use of these terms differed considerably from the way they were ordinarily used. It is said that the most useful concept he learned from MarxMarx was class struggleClass struggle, yet his class concept is not the same as Marx's and, moreover, it changed over time. In this chapter, I use these terms as clues to analyze what MarxismMarxism meant to Mao Zedong. I will also consider why violenceViolence was frequently used in Mao's policies, for example, in his land reformLand reform policy, and will discuss the general relationship between revolution and violence.