How did Mao Zedong become interested in Western political ideas?

Mao Zedong’s interest in Western political ideas began during his youth while he was a student in Changsha. After leaving his family to pursue an education, he attended secondary school in the provincial capital, where he encountered the reformist ideas of figures such as Liang Qichao and Sun Yat-sen.1

Following his brief military service during the 1911 Revolution, Mao spent time in the provincial library reading classic works of the Western liberal tradition. This period of exploration occurred as China grappled with the transition from traditional education to modern learning, leaving many young people uncertain about which intellectual path best served the country.1

Later, while studying at the First Provincial Normal School in Changsha, Mao received instruction that included Western ideas. His exposure to these concepts continued at Peking University, where he worked as a librarian’s assistant and engaged with the intellectual ferment leading up to the May Fourth Movement. This era of rapid change eventually led many Chinese radicals, including Mao, to move beyond Western liberalism toward Marxism and Leninism.1