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The Great Leap Forward and economic reform
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In 1958 Mao launched a plan to overtake Britain's industry in a few years. It led to one of the worst famines in history.
Aims and communes
The Great Leap Forward was Mao's second Five-Year Plan (1958 to 62).
Peasants were organised into huge communes: shared kitchens, nurseries and work teams; private farming was abolished.
Millions made steel in backyard furnaces, often melting useful tools into useless metal.
Peasants were organised into huge communes: shared kitchens, nurseries and work teams; private farming was abolished.
Millions made steel in backyard furnaces, often melting useful tools into useless metal.
Failure and famine
Lysenkoism (Soviet crop ideas such as close planting and deep ploughing) damaged harvests.
Officials exaggerated output, so the state took grain that did not exist.
The Great Famine (1958 to 62) killed tens of millions of people.
At the Lushan Conference (1959), Defence Minister Peng Dehuai criticised the Leap; Mao purged him, so few dared to speak out.
Officials exaggerated output, so the state took grain that did not exist.
The Great Famine (1958 to 62) killed tens of millions of people.
At the Lushan Conference (1959), Defence Minister Peng Dehuai criticised the Leap; Mao purged him, so few dared to speak out.
Economic reform, 1962 to 65
Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping took charge of the economy.
They brought back private plots and markets, cut commune sizes and gave incentives to work.
Food production recovered, but Mao saw these changes as a step back towards capitalism.
They brought back private plots and markets, cut commune sizes and gave incentives to work.
Food production recovered, but Mao saw these changes as a step back towards capitalism.
Explain why grain was taken from starving villages during the Great Leap Forward.
- Officials were afraid to report failure.
- They exaggerated harvests to please Mao.
- The state then took grain based on false figures, leaving peasants with nothing.
Answer: Officials reported false harvests, so the state took too much grain.
The Great Leap Forward (1958 to 62) created communes, abolished private farming and used backyard furnaces. Lysenkoism, false reports and the purge of Peng Dehuai at Lushan (1959) led to the Great Famine. Liu and Deng then brought back private plots and incentives.
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