The Great Leap Forward

When and where was the second five year plan announced?

8th CCP conference in May 1958

What was the second five year plan also known as?

The great leap forward

What were the key aims of the great leap forward?

To modernise agriculture through People’s Communes and achieve rapid industrial growth simultaneously

Why did Mao launch the Second Five-Year Plan?

He was impatient with slow progress and wanted China to become a modern industrial power without following traditional development stages

According to Bunce, why did Mao launch the GLF?

To transform China into a leading communist power in Asia and overtake Britain in 15 years, inspired by Khrushchev’s boast that the USSR would overtake the USA by 1980

How successful had the First Five-Year Plan been in industry?

Industrial production had increased by 18.3%

Why was the Second Five-Year Plan not a “plan in the strictest sense”?

Planning responsibility shifted from the state to the Party; targets were vague, constantly revised, and driven by slogans rather than data

What does the lack of structure in the GLF reveal about Mao’s leadership style?

It shows his preference for mass mobilisation and ideology over technical expertise or realistic planning

What were the main reasons behind the launch of the GLF?

A mix of economic, political, personal, and ideological motivations—with political factors most important

What economic reasoning supported the GLF?

Industrialisation needed agricultural surplus to feed urban workers and free up labour for factories

What debate took place within the CCP over agricultural policy?

Conservatives (Zhou Enlai, Chen Yun) favoured rewards (“carrot”), while hardliners favoured punishment (“stick”

Why did Mao initially avoid the “stick” approach?

70% of Party members were peasants, so harsh measures risked alienating his support base

What were the problems with the cautious, incentive-based approach?

Industry wasn’t producing consumer goods to reward peasants, and the state couldn’t afford high food prices

What personal factors motivated Mao in 1958?

Confidence from rapid collectivisation, success of water projects, positive provincial tours, and local enthusiasm

How did Mao’s political ambitions influence the GLF?

He wanted to show independence from the USSR and prove China could achieve communism through its own “Chinese road”

What ideological principle did the GLF reflect?

Faith in the revolutionary, potential of the masses and belief in decentralisation.

What major change distinguished the Second Five-Year Plan from the First?

Decentralisation—local cadres were empowered to direct economic activity.

Why did Mao prefer decentralisation?

He believed bureaucrats slowed progress, while mass enthusiasm could achieve faster transformation

What was the chief industrial focus of the GLF?

Steel production

What target did Mao set for steel in 1958?

Raised repeatedly—from 6 to 8 million tonnes, then to 10.7 million tonnes

What campaign was launched to meet these unrealistic steel targets?

The Backyard Furnace Campaign

How did the backyard furnace campaign operate?

Every household was urged to melt scrap metal in homemade furnaces to produce steel

What inspired Mao’s belief that this campaign could succeed?

The 1957–58 water conservancy projects, which had mobilised 100 million peasants

How did the public respond to the backyard furnace campaign?

Enthusiastically—millions participated, night skies glowed red, and up to 49% of steel was made in local kilns by Oct 1958

What was the effect of this campaign on agriculture?

Severe labour shortages and school closures as peasants were diverted from farming

Why did the campaign fail?

Most steel produced was unusable; only large smelting plants made quality steel

Why wasn’t the campaign abandoned immediately?

Fear of losing face—local cadres buried useless “steel” rather than admit failure

What were the environmental consequences of the campaign?

Massive deforestation for fuel, soil erosion, and increased flooding

What were State Owned Enterprises (SOEs)?

Nationalised industries controlled by the state, expanded during the GLF.

How did nationalisation affect workers?

They gained job security, housing, healthcare (“iron rice bowl”), but lost incentives to work efficiently

Why was the SOE system inefficient?

Fixed wages and state-set targets removed motivation for productivity

When was the term “Great Leap Forward” first used?

To describe large-scale water conservancy projects launched in late 1957

How were the masses mobilised in these projects?

Peasants used primitive tools to build dams and reservoirs through collective labour

Why were some irrigation projects disastrous?

Poor planning, lack of expertise, and competition-driven overreporting of achievements

Example of a failed project?

The Three Gate Gorge Dam—meant to control the Yellow River, it worsened silt deposits and required rebuilding within a year

What problems did these construction projects cause?

Massive labour losses, increased salinisation, reduced soil fertility, and local ecological damage

How did Mao react to technical doubts about projects like the Three Gate Gorge Dam?

He dismissed experts and judged success by the “cubic tonnage of soil moved,” not results

What did this attitude reveal about Mao’s leadership?

He valued political zeal over technical competence, leading to waste and human cost

Were there any successes under the Second Five-Year Plan?

Some growth in raw materials and symbolic projects like Tiananmen Square’s reconstruction

What was one notable scientific achievement of the period?

China’s development of nuclear weapons by 1964 (though progress was uneven)

Overall, did the Second Five-Year Plan succeed industrially?

No—by 1962, China produced only half the industrial goods it had in 1958.

How did the Sino-Soviet Split affect the plan?

Withdrawal of Soviet advisors in 1960 left China without expertise to meet its targets

What problems arose from inflated targets and competition?

Unrealistic goals, poor-quality goods, and widespread falsification of production figures

What impact did these problems have on China’s reputation?

Damaged trade credibility due to substandard exports

Why did Mao lose touch with reality during the GLF?

Overconfidence after political purges, no one dared challenge him, and expert advice was suppressed during anti-rightist campaigns

What economic consequences followed the backyard furnace campaign?

Breakdown of normal production, food rotting in fields, factory closures, and famine

By how much did industrial production fall by 1962?

It declined by around 40% from 1958–59 levels

Overall evaluation of the GLF?

The Great Leap Forward was ideologically driven but economically disastrous—mass mobilisation replaced rational planning, resulting in wasted resources, environmental damage, and famine