Final answer:
Mao gained the support of the workers and middle class in China by addressing his rhetoric not only to the proletariat, but also to the peasantry, the intelligentsia, the petty bourgeoisie, and even some members of the bourgeoisie. He advocated for land reform, promising equal distribution of land and wealth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mao gained the support of the workers and middle class in China by addressing his rhetoric not only to the proletariat, but also to the peasantry, the intelligentsia, the petty bourgeoisie, and even members of the bourgeoisie with strong nationalist, anti-imperialist views. He emphasized the class struggle between the peasants and the landlord class, advocating for land reform which would return all the land to the hands of the peasants who worked on it. Mao's message appealed to the majority of landless and poor farmers in China, promising equal distribution of land and wealth.