2nd Five Year Plan

Question 1

Agricultural failure

Answer 1

1. Too busy to work on fields with backyard furnaces
2. Lysenkoism
3. Farm machinery fell to pieces

Question 2

Industrial failures

Answer 2

1. 8m tons 1958
2. 6m in 1962
3. ‘Walking on two legs’

Question 3

Mao’s arrogance

Answer 3

1. Previous successes
2. Lack of economic understanding
   - unrealistic policies and targets

Question 4

Culture of lying

Answer 4

1. Inflated production reports
2. Declared talk of famine was treason at Lushan Conference 1959
3. Deng Dehuai’s letter criticised Mao

Question 5

Tibet

Answer 5

1. Lost 25% of its 4m population
2. ‘Mao made’ famine- deliberately made worse in Tibet

Question 6

45 million deaths

Answer 6

Worse famine in history