The Diffusion of Maoism in Global Communist Networks, 1964-1972

Zheng Zhang, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Maoism suddenly became a global revolutionary ideology in the sixties. How could Maoism spread to its global audience, given the limited geopolitical power China could elevate then? Moreover, Maoism resonated with a great range of people from radical students in Paris to nationalist fighters in Africa. How could Maoism reach out to the diverse body of its audience? Although diplomatic relations and covert operations played a pivotal role in the global diffusion of Maoism, I focus on more unofficial channels and attribute the global influence of Maoism to the diverse, extensive, and multiplex unofficial connections to the world, for example, international “popular front” organizations, oversea Chinese diasporas, and intellectual networks. Those connections promoted Maoism in four ways: 1) it expanded the influence of Maoism to countries with mere connections to China, in other words, it took Maoism to the places China cannot reach; 2) the unofficial connections “trained” apostles of Maoism in their home countries; 3) it reduced the dissonance between China’s realistic diplomatic policies and the ideological commitment; 4) it took over the position of the Soviet Union before 20th Congress.

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 Presented in Session 217. Red Flags and Colonial Frontiers: Ideology, Insurgency, and the Politics of Revolution