6 - Aftermath of the Great Leap Forward

Question 0

What percentage of Xizang (Tibet) was wiped out during the famine?

Answer 0

20%

Question 1

How many people died as a result of the GLF?

Answer 1

Official estimate - 20 million

Chang and Halliday - 38 million

Question 2

How much did the death rate increase by in Beijing - the best supplied city?

Answer 2

250%

Question 3

Where did the PLA have to be deployed to deal with rebellion amongst the peasants?

Answer 3

Western provinces such as Sichuan and Xizang

Question 4

Why were labour camps expanded?

Answer 4

To accommodate peasants found hiding food destined for requisition or trying to cultivate food for themselves

Question 5

How much wheat was imported in 1961 and where from?

Answer 5

6 million tonnes; mainly from Canada and Australia, also indirectly from USA

Question 6

When was the building of Tiananmen Square completed?

Answer 6

August 1959

Question 7

When did China make it’s first atomic bomb?

Answer 7

1964

Question 8

When did Mao step down as Chairman?

Answer 8

December 1958

Question 9

Who replaced Mao as head of state?

Answer 9

Liu Shaoqi

Question 10

When did Peng Dehuai visit his hometown?

Answer 10

1959 (Niaoshi in Henan)

Question 11

When did Peng try to voice his concerns about the GLF to Mao?

Answer 11

Central Committee at Lashun in July 1959

Question 12

How did Peng voice his concern?

Answer 12

In a ‘letter of opinion’

Question 13

What was Mao’s response to the letter?

Answer 13

Angry, published it and used it as an opportunity to destroy Peng’s career

Question 14

What did Mao say about Peng?

Answer 14

Charged him with having deviated from the general line, denounced him as a ‘rightist’

Question 15

What did the Politburo find Peng guilty of?

Answer 15

‘Objectively aiding China’s enemies’ and leading a ‘right-opportunist anti-Party clique’

Question 16

What happened to Peng after the Politburo found him guilty?

Answer 16

Dismissed as Defence Minister and placed under virtual house arrest. Kept place in Politburo but never attended another meeting

Question 17

Who replaced Peng?

Answer 17

Lin Biao

Question 18

When was the Second Great Leap Forward launched?

Answer 18

1959-60

Question 19

How many people were subject to struggle meetings as Mao attempted to remove ‘rightists’?

Answer 19

6 million

Question 20

What percentage of basic level cadres in Sichuan were dismissed from the party?

Answer 20

80%

Question 21

When were communal canteens abandoned?

Answer 21

April 1961

Question 22

What changes came in July 1961?

Answer 22

Peasants allowed to cultivate their own land, incentives introduced to work harder, rural fairs and markets were again allowed, communes broken down based on single villages

Question 23

How many people that had drifted to the cities were returned home to their villages by 1962?

Answer 23

25 million

Question 24

How many inefficient businesses that were set up under Mao were closed down?

Answer 24

25,000

Question 25

What did Chen Yi say about intellectuals?

Answer 25

'China needs intellectuals... Those who have been treated unfairly should be returned to the position they deserve'

Question 26

When did Chen Yun learn about peasant grievances?

Answer 26

In 1961 on a visit to a Shanghai commune

Question 27

Who was responsible for drawing up the Third Five Year Plan?

Answer 27

Chen Yun

Question 28

When was the Third Five Year Plan launched?

Answer 28

1962

Question 29

What changes had been made to fix the GLF failings?

Answer 29

Central bureaucracy replaced decentralisation, experts were again valued, production targets were reviewed annually and made more flexible, financial incentives reintroduced

Question 30

When was the level of agricultural production back up to that of 1957?

Answer 30

1965

Question 31

How much did output of light and heavy industry increase by?

Answer 31

Light - up 27% | Heavy - up 17%

Question 32

How much did oil production grow by?

Answer 32

1,000%

Question 33

How much did natural gas production grow by?

Answer 33

4,000%

Question 34

When was the 7,000 cadre conference?

Answer 34

January 1962

Question 35

What happened at the 7,000 cadre conference?

Answer 35

Liu Shaoqi blamed the 'party centre', which included Mao, for the failings of the GLF

Question 36

Why did Mao withdraw from public life?

Answer 36

His infallibility was challenged due to his self criticisms

Question 37

Who was left in charge after Mao withdrew from public life?

Answer 37

Liu, Deng (CPC General Secretary), Enlai (Prime Minister.

Question 38

What did Deng say in June 1962?

Answer 38

'It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white; if the cat catches the mouse, it is a good cat'

Question 39

What did Liu, Deng and Chen Yun prioritise?

Answer 39

Getting the country back on it's feet - even if there was some ideological compromise. Also wanted to ally with USA and USSR

Question 40

What did Mao say when he returned at the annual summer conference in 1962?

Answer 40

'Are we going to take the socialist road or the capitalist road?'

Question 41

What slogan did Mao use to rally against Liu and Deng?

Answer 41

'Oppose revisionism (abroad), prevent revisionism (at home)'

Question 42

When was the Socialist Education Movement launched?

Answer 42

1964

Question 43

What did the a Socialist Education Movement promote?

Answer 43

Collective economy and superiority of Socialism

Question 44

Who was sent out to rural areas to investigate rural leadership and why?

Answer 44

10,000 cadres in order to root out corruption and economic crimes

Question 45

Why was Mao opposed to Liu being his chosen successor by 1962?

Answer 45

His critical speech at 7,000 cadre conference and his pragmaticism

Question 46

What did Mao say about Liu and Deng?

Answer 46

Liu 'taking the socialist road' and being a non-Marxist. Deng 'running an independent kingdom'

Question 47

Who published the Little Red Book?

Answer 47

Lin Biao, given to Red Army

Question 48

What Maoist ideas did the Little Red Book focus on?

Answer 48

Self-sacrifice, self-reliance and continuing the revolution

Question 49

When did Lin Biao abolish ranks in the PLA and why?

Answer 49

1965 made it seem like an advanced egalitarian organisation - a model for China to follow

Question 50

Where did Biao extend the PLA's influence to in 1965?

Answer 50

Schools, factories and cultural life

Question 51

Where were Quing's allies based?

Answer 51

Shanghai

Question 52

Why were Qing's allies useful to Mao?

Answer 52

They were more radical

Question 53

When did Mao move to Shanghai?

Answer 53

November 1965

Question 54

What were the positions of Chen Boda and Kang Sheng?

Answer 54

Boda: Mao's secretary Sheng: Leading Party ideologist

Question 55

Who was Lei Feng and how was he used?

Answer 55

A soldier who died in an accident. An example of how doing everyday things with duty and commitment made you a hero