Great Leap Forward (1958-1960)

Mobilization of a mass movement

characteristic (1)

General Line for Socialist Construction

‘Go all out, aim high, and achieve greater, faster, better and more economical results in building socialism’

Great Leap Forward

China would surpass Britain in the next 15 years in the production of iron, steel, and other major industrial development; ’surpass Britain and catch up with the US’

People's Communes

Mao encouraged setting up People's Communes by saying ‘Communes are better‘

Putting emphasis on the high speed of economic development

characteristic (2)

Fostering collectivism

characteristic (3)

Putting emphasis on determination to achieve rapid economic development

characteristic (4)

Putting emphasis on unrealistic production targets

characteristic (5)

Improved situation in China

Since First Five-Year Plan was completed ahead of schedule, the national economy was greatly improved; CCP cadres wanted to take a step further to achieve a great leap forward in production by initiating a mass movement; people were forced to respond positively to the ‘Three Red Banners’, and not to express their opinion and criticize the government due to the Anti-Rightist Movement

Diplomatic isolation

China maintained ‘leaning to one side’ policy and Sino-Soviet friendship (before 1956); USSR dismissed all experts and support for China, and China was isolated by the West (after 1956); China had to achieve self-sufficiency

The Nationwide Steel Production Campaign

‘Taking steel as the key link’; People gathered around their backyard steel furnaces to smelt iron and steel; half of the steel were below standard or even scrap iron

Competition in agricultural production

‘Taking grain as the key link’; ‘satellite’ farms were created; ‘One day equals 20 years’; ‘The more daring we are, the more productive the land is’; ‘Don’t worry about what can’t be done, just worry about what can’t be imagined’

Setting up People's Communes

cooperatives were combined into People's Communes; large in size and collective in nature; each People's Commune consisted of 5000 households; all land and resources were publicly-owned; free meals were provided in the communal canteen, and necessities were given free-of-charge

Result of Great Leap Forward

‘Winds of exaggeration’ emerged with impractically high targets; falsified production figures and declining incentive among workers and peasants soared, resulting in a continuous drop in agricultural and industrial production; famines occurred and USSR isolated China, making China fall in a period of serious economic hardship (1960-1962, 3 years)

National unity to strive for modernization

the mass movement of 600 million workers and peasants united people together for China's modernization

Limited industrial development

some of the steel was usable; coal and oil production increased; nationwide steel smelting and small-scale industrial development in rural areas were encouraged; the gap between the economic development of urban and rural areas was narrowed

Economic hardship

Workers’ incentive was lowered after joining the People's Communes; they gave up farming and as a result agricultural production was unsatisfactory; the government estimated a very high grain output and encouraged food consumption; agricultural and steel production fell sharply; with the occurrence of natural disasters, famines were common and around 15-50 million people died of hunger