The Great Leap Forward - China between 1958 and 1962.

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The Great Leap Forward.

China between 1958 and 1962.

The ‘Hundred flowers’ campaign was followed by a new militant approach to Chinese economics. Shaoqi believed that the PLA and the military complex should be strengthened for several reasons; firstly the rejection of Mao foreign policy (Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence) in order to prepare for the invasion of Tibet and other island provinces free from mainland influence since the days of the KMT republic. Secondly the war in Korea had created a ‘siege-mentality’ in China (similar to USSR in the 1930s), China would be ready for invasion.

Xiaoping believed that the people could be motivated and ideologically aroused. Mao supported this initial plan believing that this ‘Second Five Year Plan’ could work better than the first. However he was wary of Shaoqi’s motives and did not wish to see the people merely exploited and made to work towards unrealistic targets. He initiated the ‘xiafang’ movement, which took the Leap down to the countryside level. The xiafang movement would have several stages. Primarily it would concentrate on heavy industry and mobilisation of the urban regions. Beijing would begin this with a ‘march to work’ programme. Next, the increasing of the indoctrinisatation of technology experts and the scientific community. Finally the xiafang movement would move to the rural areas with party cadres and members moving ‘to the people’ and helping them in agricultural policies. It is at this point that the debate arises – critics have suggested that Mao supported the scheme because he was unhappy with the USSR’s ‘de-Stalinisation’ of itself. He was undoubtedly concerned about his country’s over-reliance on Soviet help.

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The split over the direction occurred in late 1958, by then nearly 750,000 new collectivised farms had been created and agricultural output was at China’s highest ever, Mao wanted to create forums to discuss problems with the ‘Leap,’ he also wanted greater self-sufficiency amongst the communes. Shaoqi resisted this idea believing that centralisation was the only means of ensuring success. He introduced the radical mass dormitories with over 5000 people to each one. This new housing was resisted bitterly and Mao argued that it was essential the CCP listened to the people. Zhou Enlai also voiced concerns over plans to ...

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