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The Great Leap Forward
The Goals
The Goals
Main objective: to bring the Chinese people into the perfect communal society
To modernize the Chinese economy rapidly
Make use of China’s manpower—utilize human labor to its fullest
China would surpass Great Britain in industrial output
Create huge agricultural communes to increase agricultural production and free up personnel and money for industrialization and public works projects (dams, bridges, etc…)
The commune would guarantee to each individual a set income, regardless of labor contributions
The Process
The Process
In the spirit of wild optimism that prevailed at the time, most rural Chinese threw themselves wholeheartedly into the Great Leap. Farmers worked in the fields all day and sometimes into the night, a practice known as “catching the moon and stars,” all the while shouting slogans to sustain their enthusiasm. At night, many did not bother returning home, opting instead to join other members of the commune, sleeping in makeshift sheds in the fields. Kitchens allowed a designated chef to feed the entire commune from huge pots, which were sometimes located in the fields to avoid wasted travel time. When compared with the traditional family meals, this system offered more efficient resource use and freed mothers to work alongside the men. For the same reason, families placed infants in communal nurseries while the elderly and in- firm spent their days in “happiness homes,” all moves calculated to impose greater equality, free up laborers, and maximize production.
The Results
The Results
Completion of some highly valuable public works such as flood control projects along the Yellow River, power stations and railroads
Many other projects failed because work was done without any technical knowledge (Mao had many economist, engineers, and educators imprisoned or killed in “Anti-Rightist” campaigns), were led by party officials who did not have the correct skills, and were often done too hastily to be of any quality
Large communes (large farms that brought together thousands of people) were created to replace the traditional familial and village structures
Slight increase in agricultural production
"Backyard” furnaces were created on the communes to produce industrial goods; while it did increase in tonnage of goods, the quality was so bad that most goods were useless!
Local party officials, many of whom were from the cities, exaggerated crop production figures (Mao attacked any party member who did not enthusiastically support his program)...the Party demanded more crops...Local officials forced to take even more from the peasants
The more party officials exaggerated, the more the government took as a tax. Too much food was taken resulting in terrible famines in some areas ...massive starvation in China
About 30 million people would die of starvation—while the government exported food to foreign countries!
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