Empire: World History 341. Chairman Mao: The Clash With Stalin (Ep 4)
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Mar 12, 2026 
Rana Mitter, historian at Harvard Kennedy School and expert on modern China, explains Mao’s early years in power. He discusses China’s postwar dislocation and Soviet influence. He covers violent land reform, anti-business campaigns, Danwei life and welfare, women’s legal changes, political purges, the Hundred Flowers rebound, and the lead-up to the Great Leap Forward.
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Class Became The New Defining Axis Of Power
- Mao transformed social targeting from race to class, making class status the core determinant of food, jobs and heredity.
- This ideology justified mass land reform and the killing of roughly two million landlords during early redistributions.
Antis Turned Routine Life Into Political Purges
- The three-anti and five-anti campaigns turned everyday life into political policing, defining enemies by class and local official interpretation.
- Local cadres often radicalized campaigns to show enthusiasm, escalating punishment and asset seizures.
Work Units Became The Cradle To Grave State
- Mao built a Soviet-style command economy around danwei work units that provided cradle-to-grave services and controlled daily life.
- Danwei tied employment, housing, schooling and healthcare to party-run workplaces, creating tight social control.