Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, was and remains as a controversial Chinese figure whose strong belief in communism still shapes China today. In power from 1945-1976, Mao's mission of industrializing farmland and agriculture pushed China to her breaking points as he used totalitarian methods. No exact number has ever been released regarding how many people died under Mao, however the estimate remains between 30 and 78 million people.