The Economic Development of the PRC, 1949-1966

What were the main impacts of collectivisation?

• CCP control in the countryside strengthened

• The impact on agriculture was disappointing

• It grew by only 3.5%

• In the last year of the Five-year plan, it grew by 1%

To what extent did collectivisation pay ‘no attention to the needs or welfare of the peasants?’

• Mao didn’t want to truly resolve the needs of the peasants and rather prioritised his idea of Communism.

How successful was the first Five-year plan? What issues did it leave unresolved?

• It had set ambitious targets for China which we far exceeded

• The figures of the five-year plan showed great success

• However, many workers were illiterate and not trained

• Modern equipment was expensive and was ruined by it not being installed properly

• There was an emphasis on quality over quantity

• There was competition for scarce resources between the industries, private enterprises and the State

What was intended by the Great Leap Forward?

• Wanted to transform China into a leading industrial power in record time

What happened during the Great Leap Forward?

• Famine

• A great loss of life during the GLF

• Peasants weren’t trained/ taught how to implement new technology into their lives

• Mao was ignorant in wanting to enforce such great changes onto the people

What were the consequences of the Great Leap Forward?

• Huge amounts of devastation and death

• Failures of Mao’s policies people began to question Mao’s leadership and decision making