The Communist Party's Victory and Mao Zedong's Vision

• 1949: Communist Party of China wins the Civil War.
• Mao Zedong: Aims to transform China from a politically weak, traditional society to a modern, industrialized nation.

The First Five-Year Plan (1952)

• Modeled after the Soviet industrialization plan.
• Focus on heavy industry in cities.
• Challenges:
  • Majority of population in rural areas.
  • Insufficient agricultural production to support industrial expansion.

Land Reform and Collectivization

• Redistribution of land from rich landowners to peasants.
• Collectivization: Peasants work for wages on state-owned land.
• Aim: Expand agricultural and industrial production.

The Great Leap Forward (1958)

• Shift from Soviet model: Decentralized agricultural and political decisions.
• Objectives:
  • Achieve agricultural surplus to feed industrial workers.
  • Engage rural workers in industrial production.
• Commune System:
  • Large-scale communes with 20,000+ people.
  • Elimination of individual small holdings.
  • Communes offered childcare and elderly care.
• Propaganda: Encouraged mass participation in agricultural and industrial activities.

Industrial Ambitions

• "Walking on Two Legs": Agricultural workers supporting industrial growth.
• Backyard Furnaces:
  • Aimed to increase steel production from 5 million to 100 million tons.

Initial Success and Underlying Issues

• 1958: Perceived success due to good weather.
• Issues emerging by year's end:
  • Overconsumption of food reserves.
  • Laborers lacked incentive in large communes.
  • Ineffective steel production.
  • Ecological imbalance due to pest control methods.
  • Harmful agricultural practices like deep plowing.

Failures and Catastrophe

• Political resistance to scaling back.
• Purges against critics reinforced the continuation of policies.
• Severe Famine:
  • Starvation in rural areas due to grain requisition and poor harvests.
  • Accounts of extreme survival measures, including cannibalism.
• Death Toll: Estimated between 18 to 45 million.

Mao's Position and Aftermath

• Mao blamed but retained position as Party Chairman.
• 1962: Policy and economic decisions managed by others.
• Reforms:
  • Scaling back of communes.
  • Allowing individual farming.
  • Incentivizing industrial work.
• Cultural Revolution: Launched by Mao in 1966 as he remained a powerful figure.