Mao Zedong was the founder of the People's Republic of China and led the Chinese Communist Revolution. He implemented radical economic and social programs to transform China into a communist state, including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. However, these programs resulted in economic decline and social upheaval, with millions dying from famine during the Great Leap Forward. Mao's political beliefs centered around communism and transforming China according to Marxist principles, though his policies strayed from orthodox Marxism and had disastrous unintended consequences for China.