AP World History

Answer - C - Mao Zedong gathered support from rural peasants, clearly differentiating himself from orthodox Marxists.

Key Takeaway: People who believed in orthodox Marxism believed that urban workers would eventually revolt against their capitalist masters and the following revolution would start in the cities. Although Mao Zedong believed many Marxist principles, he adapted the thought to the plight of peasants in the Chinese countryside. They were the vehicles by which he successfully overthrew the Nationalists in 1949.