How did Mao’s approach differ from the pragmatists?

Communes

Mao – valued mass mobilisation and that peasant power should be stronger than the elite

Pragmatists – restored centralised, bureaucratic control of the planning process

Agriculture

Mao – agriculture was a secondary priority

Pragmatists – as agriculture was temporarily prioritised, production grew between 1962 and 1966, although food production was still 14% below the levels reached in 1958 and large quantities of grain were still being imported

Role of experts

Mao – valued mass mobilisation

Pragmatists – favoured rehabilitation of many of the intellectuals who had been purged in the anti-rightist campaign of 1958

Industry

Mao – gave priority to industrialisation, with agriculture playing a supporting role

Pragmatists – around 25,000 inefficient industries set up under the GLF were closed down

Economic planning

Mao – wanted the economy to grow and develop on a broad front

Pragmatists – refocused industrial production to concentrate on fewer, more specific projects