Released early on account of poor health, Chen retreated to an isolated village in the mountains of Sichuan, where he lived in obscurity. On his own, Chen’s faith in democracy reemerged as he watched Stalin’s tyrannical nature emerge. Chen also found solace in his classical education, turning to classical poetry and philology. His legacy is… Read more »
Despite the wealth Zhu had generated for the country as a whole, rural Chinese began to feel that they were bearing an unfair share of the costs. While a rising tide did lift all boats, Zhu’s attempts to appease urban areas had started widening the gap between rich and poor. As Zhu prepared to hand over… Read more »
Deng passed away in 1997 and arranged to have his ashes scattered over the ocean. His legacy, like Mao’s, was mixed. Although never reaching the scale of Mao’s atrocities, Deng oversaw brutal crackdowns on students and dissidents. Unlike Mao, however, Deng could claim credit for launching an economic boom of unprecedented proportions.