Early Changes in Agriculture: 1949-57 Flashcards
What were Mao’s main aims for agriculture?
- increase food supplies to the cities to feed the workers in the new factories
- wary of exploiting the peasants too much; knew how unpopular over-requisitioning and collectivisation had made communists in the Soviet Union.
- needed an agricultural policy that would a) increase supplies b) enhance the popularity of communism in the countryside— country largely made up of poor peasants
- only when China was economically strong could Mao make good his claim that the “Chinese people had stood up”
What did the communists think of the Landlords? (Early changes)
Communists viewed china’s landowners as FEUDAL class enemies 🏯🏚
Needed to be destroyed to allow continued land distribution to the peasants
(greatest source of support, even been doing it pre 1949) 🏞🛣
What did the Communists do to attack landlordism? (Early changes)
Work Teams of Party cadres sent to villages:
- encouraged peasants to drag them before “struggle meetings”: denounced for exploiting their tenants, forced to give up their land
- whipped up anger against them: released years of pent-up jealously, resentment
- some were sentenced to death.
What was the Agrarian Reform Law?
1950- a ‘system of peasant land ownership shall be introduced’
Country-wide land reform.
Removed legal protection from landlords, powerless to keep hold of their land.
VIOLENCE: escalated beyond what work teams encouraged:
- settle old scores / family feuds
- seize more land from well of neighbour, improve their standard of living
What was the impact of the Agrarian Reform Law?
By the Summer of 1952, 43% of the land had been redistributed to 60% of the population
Rural production boomed: 1950-52— total agricultural production increased 15% per annum
BUT: 1-2 m landlords executed
