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17 Cards in this Set
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1950 Agrarian Land Reform |
Meant that land was redistributed to peasants. Meetings were set up in which people were labelled, landlords were humiliated and accused of exploitation. Peasants were encouraged to punish landlords. |
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1950 Agrarian Land Reform lead to... |
By 1951: 700,000 landlords died 10 million landlords lost land “Classicide” (class motivated killing) Built the foundation for the violent attacks against the 85-90% of the former 15 million members of the landlord class according to Harry Wu 43% of the land redistributed to 60% of the population Between 1950 and 1952: 15% agricultural production increase |
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Voluntary to enforced collectivisation |
APCs were moving at too fast of a pace, which led to poor quality -> Mao’s call for a slow down in spring 1953 July 1955- Mao’s call for all out collectivisation APCs , 200/300 households rewarded with work points Ideological success - state owned means of production of food 14% of peasants joining APCs , by March 1955- 16 out of 110 million peasants were part of APCs In 1953 and 1954, production rose less than 2% APC membership rose by 96% by 1955 |
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Moves towards agricultural co-operation |
Private ownership abolished in 1956 By 1952, 88% of households had taken apart with 43% of land redistributed to 60% of peasants 1950-1952, agricultural production increased by 15% per year 1952- 40% of peasants belonged to a MAT 1953-54 , grain production was at a low of 2% per year APC membership was made compulsory in 1956 By 1957, almost all of China was collectivised |
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People’s communes 1958 |
Mao’s answer to catching Britain- make collectives more responsible for industrial production, education, welfare provision and local defence Thought that by pooling resources together, it would lead to higher food yields and leave peasants more time for industrial work First people’s commune in Henan- 9000 households Mao wanted ‘utopian socialism’ 10 guarantees- meals, clothes, housing, school, medical, burial, haircuts, entertainment, heating, money for weddings Not possible to move around without an internal passport |
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Abolition of private farming, 1956 |
Communes were compulsory No work points, state provided anything anyway. Lack of incentives Strict management- 6hrs of sleep every 2 days Large military presence- everyone between 15-50 trained with weapons and marching |
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Lysenkoism and The Four Pests Campaign, 1958 (1) |
Pest control used (‘sparrowcide’), killed all sparrows which disrupted ecosystem Mao tried- close planting, deep ploughing, fertilisation and pest control TFPC launched declaring China to get rid of: sparrows, rats, flies and mosquitoes - doing this by banging drums around the city or pounding pots. Small rewards given for the bodies of dead birds Peasants were exhausted as they spent hours banging pots and pans together to prevents birds from landing until they fell Focus on increased fertilisation of crops ruined peasants homes which were ploughed into the ground due to use of animal dung in construction walls
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Lysenkoism and The Four Pests Campaign, 1958 (1) |
Pest control used (‘sparrowcide’), killed all sparrows which disrupted ecosystem Mao tried- close planting, deep ploughing, fertilisation and pest control TFPC launched declaring China to get rid of: sparrows, rats, flies and mosquitoes - doing this by banging drums around the city or pounding pots. Small rewards given for the bodies of dead birds Peasants were exhausted as they spent hours banging pots and pans together to prevents birds from landing until they fell Focus on increased fertilisation of crops ruined peasants homes which were ploughed into the ground due to use of animal dung in construction walls
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Lysenkoism and The Four Pests Campaign, 1958 (2) |
Dec 1958, Wuhan- 430 million tons of grain claimed, revised down to 375 million before publicly released (realistically near 200mn) Uncritical acceptance of Lysenko’s claims- x16 greater yield from alleged ‘super crops. Crops grow faster next to each other, they like growing with company Rice and margarine exported at the height of the famine Peasants were hoarding food 11/07, pre 1000 rural death rate pre-famine and by 1960 this had risen by 28.68%. In Anhui this was 68.6% Birth rates dropped, woman ween’t in a physical position to reproduce Wives sold by husbands into prostitution Cannibalism became common Sichuan party secretary/ “which dynasty has not witnessed death by starvation” |
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The Great Famine, 1958-62 |
Dec 1958, Mao overestimated grain figures. Stepped down as Chairman of China but still remained Chairman of the CCP Around 30-50 million deaths 25% of Tibet killed in famine China only admitted the figures in 1980. Worst famine of the 20th century Production was very low- no incentives without trade or work points Adverse weather conditions- flooding and droughts in 1960 28,000 Chinese taken to study in Russia to learn from their ‘elder brothers’ In 1957, only 17% of grain was procured. In 1959, this increased to 28% (in the height of the famine) In 1957, there was 195.1 m tons of grain and 4m meat. In 1960, there was 143.5 m and 1.2m
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The First Five Year Plan, 1952-56 |
Heavy industry prioritised “Patriotic saving schemes”, akin to the premium bonds 1949: gas, electricity, transport, banking sectors and foreign-controlled businesses were nationalised 1956- the private industry was abolished as a whole 9% economic growth per year, urban living standards improved (freedom to change jobs or travel largely was sacrificed) Population: 57mn in 1949, 100mn in 1957 75% electricity output 70-90% of consumer goods from targets produced 15.5% industrial output growth, beating the 14.7% target Heavy industrial growth in Manchuria tripled Railway freight production doubled Oil, uranium and minerals discovered in Xinjiang Figures were exaggerated End of the plan, half of under 16s in full-time education 1951-52 “anti campaign” meant that economic expertise was largely lost so the standard of administration was poorer
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Great Leap Forward, 1958-62 |
Not much planning- more mass mobilisation and hope Mao needed consumer goods to offer to the peasants as incentives Decentralisation- more freedom to local cadres (harness mass mobilisation) Backyard furnaces- wanted to produce as much steel as possible, so every family was encouraged to built one and melt their steel- massive national movement -> schools, hospitals (etc.) had them Absurd targets- e.g. 20m tons of steel by 1962 Due to the anti-rightist campaign, there were no intellectuals to help with the economy By 1962, production had decreased by 40% Wheat production fell to 14% by 1962 Grain production fell by 50% from 1958 to 1962 Rice fell by 30% Steel fell by 12% in two years Coal output fell by 50% from 1958 to 1962 1958 total harvest exaggerated by 100m tons State took 50% of all grain, but due to false figures they were actually taking 80% By 1960, the death rate increased by 17% In Anhui, the death rate was 68% In Sichuan, 9m people died Cannibalism was common 2 million died from flooding when their crops were destroyed (60% of land was affected by flood and drought during this time) In 1960, 1400 Soviet economic advisors were recalled from China Total industrial output fell by 27% Amount of land used for crops fell by 9% between 1958 and 1961
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Reasons for famine, 1958-62 |
Tried to develop industry and agriculture at the same time. Meant that peasants were unable to produce surpluses and work on backyard furnaces Uncritically accepted Lysenkoism Dismissed experts (were purged) Mao wanted to industrialise China, whatever the sacrifice - continued to export to show the strength of communism Adverse weather conditions
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Lushan Conference, July 1959 |
Peng Duhai openly criticised Mao, which lead to him being dimissed and replaced by Liu Biao Peng was accused of supporting Khrushchev who voiced similar criticisms Mao’s withdrawal from politics |
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Backyard furnaces |
25% of the population abandoned normal work to help out with steel production Sept 1958, 14% of steel was from local kilns In Oct 1958, 49% of steel was from local kilns Pots, pans and other kitchen utensils were being built |
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Backyard furnaces |
25% of the population abandoned normal work to help out with steel production Sept 1958, 14% of steel was from local kilns In Oct 1958, 49% of steel was from local kilns Pots, pans and other kitchen utensils were being burned |
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Restoration of private farming by Liu and Deng |
Nov 1960, peasants allowed to sell privately on small markets Communes broke into collectives of 30 households, rewarded with work points Some city population moved to countryside, Beijing encouraged between 25 and 30 m people to relocate Started to import grain from Canada, USA and Australia Mao disliked Deng and Liu for solving the problem Domestic grain production increased from 193 m tons in 1961 to 240m four years later This increase was complemented by a rise in net grain imports (3.7 m tons in 1962 and 4.2 m tons in 1963) The government ended the ‘urban food bias’, winding back grain procurement for the cities. Less grain was seized by the government, the famine dissipated and rural standards improved Advanced the political rehabilitation of Rightists who were expelled, marginalised and imprisoned after the 100 Flowers campaign
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