Chapter 6: The Great Leap Forward

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Chapter 6:

The Great Leap Forward

In January 1958, Mao launched the Great Leap Forward. Mao

wanted China to be transformed into leading industrial power alongside Britain

within 15 years. He believed that it could be done through mass mobilisation and

correct leadership throughout the CPC.

Aims and origins of

the GLF

The GLF was China’s second five year plan. Mao envisaged a

decentralised control to local party cadres to mobilise the people. Mao declared

that China would be producing 40 tonnes of steel by 1970s, eight times higher

than it was at the end of the first five year plan. As his confidence grew so did

his targets, by 1962 he wanted to 100 million tonnes to be produced, and 700 million

by the early 70s. He also doubled grain production targets to 430 million in an

attempt to boost agriculture.

The key to doing this was:

Grouping of APC into larger communes of consisting

of about 20,000 people. These abolished all family and private lives so people

would become more focussed on work.

Communes were to boost agricultural production

through ‘backyard furnaces’, which were established to produce steel and iron in

other places such as schools and colleges, where people were not trained.

Large scale civil engineering projects such as

bridges were built by thousands of labourers rather than machinery.

Factors that influenced

Mao’s thinking

Economic context

While the first five year plan had boosted industry by 18.7%,

agriculture only grew by 3.8%. The priority for Mao was industry, but he realised

unless more food was produced industrialisation would be held back.

Political context

Rivalries within the CPC also played their part, such as

Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping.

International context

Although Mao had been relying on the Soviet Union and waned

to become a great force like them, he was convinced China would have to do it

on their own after the USSR started ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the west.

The ideological

context

Could be achieved through the mass mobilisation of

the people.

Developed the ‘continuing revolution’

Mao still believed peasants were the driving force

of the communist future.

Why did the GLF fail?

In 1958 there had been a good harvest, but the grain target was

still not met. However, the CPC made it look like it was exceeding targets so

they could further raise them. In 1959 the harvest got worse to 170 million

tonnes, and in 1960 dropped further to 143 million, way of the 430 million he

wanted. By the summer of 1959 food shortages had hit.

In steel, the targets were not even close to being reached,

and the backyard furnaces had produced such bad quality steel that the

experiment was dropped in 1959.

There were a number of specific factors that contributes to

the failure:

Weather conditions in 1959 contributed to the

bad harvests.

The 100 flowers campaign had resulted in a

shortage of experts to aid the GLF

Party cadres lied to Mao to ensure their

survival.

The GLF involved a huge waste in human and

material resources.

The break with the USSR in 1960 led to withdrawal

of soviet advisors and they stopped the loans to China.

Mao had overestimated the enthusiasm of the

people.