Mao Zedong; also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung (26 December 1893 - 9 September 1976); was a Chinese communist revolutionary; guerrilla warfare strategist; author; political theorist; and leader of the Chinese Revolution. Commonly referred to as Chairman Mao; he was the architect of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from its establishment in 1949; and held authoritarian control over the nation until his death in 1976. His theoretical contribution to Marxism-Leninism; along with his military strategies and brand of political policies; are now collectively known as Maoism.