Mao Zedong was a Chinese leader who served as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death in 1976. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Chinese history and is often referred to as the 'Father of the People's Republic of China'. Mao Zedong was a major proponent of Marxism-Leninism and is credited with leading the Chinese Revolution, which resulted in the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.