Collectivisation
Within the Party there was division as some saw the lack of equipment left China unprepared
Concequences
By end of 1956 3% of peasants were farming as individuals
Mao published “Socialist Upsurge in the countryside” idea that he was responding to the peasants
Most APCs were converted to HPCs (Higher Agricultural Producers) 200-300 households. Families no longer owned the land - KEY CHANGE
The state owned 90% of land - Chinese Marxism in action
Mao had outmaneuvered the gradualists within the Party- historians refer to the “New Mao” emerging allowing him to override the concern of more moderate members of te Central Committee. The support of the cadres made a difference
However, in economic terms the results were disappointing
Food production increased 3.8% p.a which wasn’t sufficient to sustain the growing industrial workforce
Wasn’t enough for the Great Leap Forward
Lack of cultivated land
Low worker productivity
Mao’s response in 1957 was to launch the communes
The Great Leap Forward aimed to overtake Britain in 15 years and double steel production - industrialization of modern China
Communes had 5,000 households
Motivation
Cost efficiency
Economic advantage - land efficiency
Walking on 2 legs, it was all together
Ideological advantages - fitted with Communism
First Commune named Sputnik - equivalent to great adventure and success
Cultural control enabled doctrination and control of old practices
Implementation
Abolition of Private Farming
August 1958 Politburo resolution declared people’s comumnes to be the “basic social units of communist society”
By end of year 740,000 co-operatives had been reorganised into 26,000 communes
99& of peasants lived in communes - almost half a billion people
Once in a commune, it wasn’t possible to move away without an internal passport
Life in a Commune
Children raised in kindergartens, and urged to pledge loyalty to Party rather than parents. Mao was their great parent
WOmen were known as Iron Women who were freed from domestic labour to work for Communism - “liberalisation from labour” 90% of women laboured in the fields alongside men
Collective canteen, clothing, dormitories couples could only arrange to sleep together on arranged conjugal visits. Happiness homes for the elderly - society was segregated and broke down family loyalty
Divided into Production Brigades and people’s working lives were directed by new mangagment teams
Unit of local government would provide services such as health, education and peasants aged 15-50 years had to join the militia. They would be trained with weapons and marched together for work. They would organise industrial enterprises like flour mills and backyard furnaces
Mao is moving closer to his vision of a perfect communist society - working for the common good However villages had no choice about being absorbed into communes - loss of individuality and personal freedom
Lysenkoism
Soviet scientist who claimed new techniques would increase agricultural yeilds who Stalin had relied on during the 1930s
Lysenko had manipulated his research and encouraged the purges of other scientists
Close-cropping
Seeds enjoyed the comradery
4 Pests Campaign 1958
Sparrowcide as they ate the seeds. Rewards were paid for dead bodies and they competed
Massive damage on the ecosystem and food chain - increase in pests which ate crops
Over use of fertilisers
Grain and meat production 1958+ fell
Great Famine
1958 Agricultural production was announced as 375 million tonnes - hailed as a success
Officials falsely assumed that there was a huge surplus as cadres lied and inflated production figures, who feared they would be labeled as a rightist
Demains for grain to be exported to pay for heavy industry were increased
Widely agknowledged as the worst famine of the 20th century 30-50 million deaths
Revision
Motivation - political - economical - ideological
Life in the Famines
G
“
Collectivisation
Within the Party there was division as some saw the lack of equipment left China unprepared
Concequences
By end of 1956 3% of peasants were farming as individuals
Mao published “Socialist Upsurge in the countryside” idea that he was responding to the peasants
Most APCs were converted to HPCs (Higher Agricultural Producers) 200-300 households. Families no longer owned the land - KEY CHANGE
The state owned 90% of land - Chinese Marxism in action
Mao had outmaneuvered the gradualists within the Party- historians refer to the “New Mao” emerging allowing him to override the concern of more moderate members of te Central Committee. The support of the cadres made a difference
However, in economic terms the results were disappointing
Food production increased 3.8% p.a which wasn’t sufficient to sustain the growing industrial workforce
Wasn’t enough for the Great Leap Forward
Lack of cultivated land
Low worker productivity
Mao’s response in 1957 was to launch the communes
The Great Leap Forward aimed to overtake Britain in 15 years and double steel production - industrialization of modern China
Communes had 5,000 households
Motivation
Cost efficiency
Economic advantage - land efficiency
Walking on 2 legs, it was all together
Ideological advantages - fitted with Communism
First Commune named Sputnik - equivalent to great adventure and success
Cultural control enabled doctrination and control of old practices
Implementation
Abolition of Private Farming
August 1958 Politburo resolution declared people’s comumnes to be the “basic social units of communist society”
By end of year 740,000 co-operatives had been reorganised into 26,000 communes
99& of peasants lived in communes - almost half a billion people
Once in a commune, it wasn’t possible to move away without an internal passport
Life in a Commune
Children raised in kindergartens, and urged to pledge loyalty to Party rather than parents. Mao was their great parent
WOmen were known as Iron Women who were freed from domestic labour to work for Communism - “liberalisation from labour” 90% of women laboured in the fields alongside men
Collective canteen, clothing, dormitories couples could only arrange to sleep together on arranged conjugal visits. Happiness homes for the elderly - society was segregated and broke down family loyalty
Divided into Production Brigades and people’s working lives were directed by new mangagment teams
Unit of local government would provide services such as health, education and peasants aged 15-50 years had to join the militia. They would be trained with weapons and marched together for work. They would organise industrial enterprises like flour mills and backyard furnaces
Mao is moving closer to his vision of a perfect communist society - working for the common good However villages had no choice about being absorbed into communes - loss of individuality and personal freedom
Lysenkoism
Soviet scientist who claimed new techniques would increase agricultural yeilds who Stalin had relied on during the 1930s
Lysenko had manipulated his research and encouraged the purges of other scientists
Close-cropping
Seeds enjoyed the comradery
4 Pests Campaign 1958
Sparrowcide as they ate the seeds. Rewards were paid for dead bodies and they competed
Massive damage on the ecosystem and food chain - increase in pests which ate crops
Over use of fertilisers
Grain and meat production 1958+ fell
Great Famine
1958 Agricultural production was announced as 375 million tonnes - hailed as a success
Officials falsely assumed that there was a huge surplus as cadres lied and inflated production figures, who feared they would be labeled as a rightist
Demains for grain to be exported to pay for heavy industry were increased
Widely agknowledged as the worst famine of the 20th century 30-50 million deaths
Revision
Motivation - political - economical - ideological
Life in the Famines
G
“
