To what extent did Mao's period in power see change or continuity in China in: industry, agriculture, government, education and culture and personal freedoms?

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To what extent did Mao’s period in power see change or continuity in China in: industry, agriculture, government, education and culture and personal freedoms?

Over the years 1949-1976 a great change was seen in the industrial and agricultural side to China. The first and main problem in agriculture to be tackled, was the system of landlords owning land and employing peasants to work on it. This was unfair because the landlords would then reap the rewards of their hard work. In 1950 Mao passed a law stating that peasants could legally own land of their own. Any landlords who disagreed with these changes would be tried in a ‘peoples court’ and if found guilty of crime against the people were either imprisoned or executed. By 1952 98% of the land in China was owned by peasants. Mao encouraged the peasants to combine their plots together so they could share tools, skills and labour and therefore the products of their farms. This idea of sharing land had never been done before and so this was a huge positive change due to the increased output of goods. These ‘collectives’ of land were grouped together into huge ‘communes’ of 5000-50000 people. The purpose of this was that different goods could be produces in mass in a short time. Each commune was set different targets they had 2 meet. Some were industrial e.g. oil, coal and iron and some were for food. Each commune also had to build schools, offices and communist centres. This was a change as there were very few centres of education previously.

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     Running parallel with Mao’s agricultural reforms were his attempts to revolutionize Chinese industry. He had to do this to make China self sufficient in its key materials as, before it had been relying on foreign allies for such provisions and years of war had prevented it from recovering. All banks, railways and one third of private heavy industry were taken from their owners and made into state property. Profits went straight to the government and made up around two thirds of its annual income. The government also received 20% of all grain produced in China. These reforms were ...

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