It's a wonder why Mao always get mentioned in those sort of things. Mao is a problematic leader by today's standard, but would be a saint in pre-modern history. What happened was horrible, but those aren't atrocities. Mao was certain he was doing the right thing, which is exactly the issue at that time. It's radically different from the nobilities who do things to others because they think they are born superior, Mao was obviously not that.