Mao Zedong ( December 26 , 1893 â `` September 9 , 1976 ) was a Chinese Communist leader . Mao Zedong , also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , commonly referred to as Chairman Mao ( December 26 , 1893 - September 9 , 1976 ) , was a Chinese revolutionary , guerrilla warfare strategist , poet , political theorist , and leader of the Chinese Revolution .