China under Mao Zedong
The creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 marked the successful climax of a 20 year struggle. Against immense odds the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong had rid China of foreign domination; the Nationalists had been driven off the Chinese mainland and Mao, as head of the CCP, was able to pursue his ideas of socialism and to impose these on the new Republic.