Final answer:
Mao Tse-Tung's appeal to the Chinese people was based on his emphasis on the power of the masses, particularly the peasantry, which he promised to lead to communism through land reform and a revolutionary struggle against landlords. Despite disastrous policies like the 'Great Leap Forward', Mao maintained his appeal through radical transformation promises and a strong revolutionary party ethos.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mao Tse-Tung appealed to the Chinese people mainly through his emphasis on the power of the masses and their role in the revolution, which is accurately represented in option b) of the student's question. Mao's distinctive form of Marxist-Leninist ideology, known as Maoism, focused on the Chinese peasantry as the primary force for achieving communism, suggesting that what they required was the guidance and shaping from a powerful political party. This approach resonated with the peasantry who, suffering from poverty and seeking land reform, found Mao's promise of overthrowing landlords and redistributing land to be a potent rallying call. Mao also capitalized on the peasantry's dissatisfaction with the Nationalist government's handling of the Japanese invasion.
Moreover, the Cultural Revolution and campaigns such as the 'Great Leap Forward' were designed to rapidly transform China into a Marxist democracy and an industrial superpower. Despite the heavy toll these campaigns took on the population, resulting in widespread famine and death, Mao's drive to instigate such radical change strengthened his hold on power and the population's belief in the need for revolution.