Sarah Paine — How Mao conquered China (lecture & interview)

This podcast features an interview discussing Mao Zedong's life and theories, focusing on his military strategies and their impact on 20th-century history. The speaker analyzes Mao's propaganda techniques, social policies (including land reform and the devastating Great Leap Forward), and military strategies, using Clausewitz's framework of great leadership. The interview also explores the lasting consequences of Mao's rule, including the immense human cost of his policies and their influence on subsequent communist movements. A key takeaway is the contrast between Mao's initial shrewdness and the disastrous outcomes of his later policies, highlighting the limitations of even brilliant strategists in peacetime governance. The discussion also touches upon the complexities of US foreign policy in the mid-20th century and the challenges of nation-building versus nation-rebuilding.