Description
Creating a communist revolution using nationalistic and class-inclusive rather than class-exclusive models. Maoism is based on the rural peasants as the source of revolutionary fervour rather than urban industrial workers. Maoism includes a two-stage revolution in which the first stage is a nationalistic anti-imperialist war in alliance with national bourgeoisie and the second stage the socialist or class war.
Implementation
In addition to China, the Maoist approach was tried unsuccessfully by Communists in Indonesia, and so far with some success in Vietnam. As an ideology, Maoism is part of much of the revolutionary thinking in third world rural societies.
Claim
In adapting a 19th century ideology to fit the socio-cultural realities of a 20th century rural, Third World country, Maoism has in fact created for rural, underdeveloped countries the vision that dramatic change is possible.
Counter-claim
Any localized communist revolutionary group looking for external support is today caught between the rival ideologies of China and the former USSR, making application of strategy very difficult.
Maoism has never succeeded anywhere in the long run.