(f) The restoration of private farming by Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping

How did the Chinese leadership respond to the famine and failures of the Great Leap Forward in 1960?

• Mao’s approach: Did not admit personal responsibility; blamed local management and “corrupt elements” in communes.

• Emergency measures (Nov 1960):

  • Villagers allowed to keep private plots.

  • Could engage in side occupations alongside farming.

  • Local markets restored.

• Significance: Marked a turning point in the famine and allowed local leaders to dismantle communes if necessary.

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How did Li Fuchun help convey the failures of the Great Leap Forward to Mao in 1962, and what actions followed?

• Li Fuchun’s approach: Presented grim facts tactfully, praising Mao’s directives but admitting that leaders collectively made mistakes in implementation.

• Mao’s response: Assigned Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping to restore food production and end rural chaos.

• Measures taken: Local officials were encouraged to fully use the 1960 emergency directive, allowing private plots, side occupations, and local markets to recover agricultural productivity.

How did agricultural organisation change after the Great Leap Forward famine?

• Many communes broke up into smaller collectives of ~30 households.

• Villagers were rewarded based on individual contribution, similar to early Agricultural Producers’ Co-operatives (APCs).

• Some areas reverted entirely to private farming, restoring more traditional land ownership and production methods.

How did the Chinese government reduce pressure on urban food supplies after the Great Leap Forward?

• 25 million city-dwellers were relocated to the countryside.

• Mao compared this to deporting the population of a country the size of Belgium.

• The policy aimed to ease strain on urban food distribution and supplement rural labour.

How did China address the grain shortfall after the Great Leap Forward?

• Massive grain imports were arranged from Canada, Australia, and the USA in 1961.

• By 1965, Chinese grain harvests recovered to 1957 levels

What was Dengs comment?

‘whether white or black, a cat is a good cat so long as it catches a rat.’ to the Communist Youth League in July 1962,

Why was Mao dissatisfied with the post–Great Leap Forward recovery?

 Mao was unhappy that peasants rejected communes and preferred private plots.

• He was suspicious of Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, fearing their popularity from economic recovery might be used to challenge his authority.