Great Leap Forward

Question 1

How did Mao create culture of fear during the Great Leap Forward

Question 2

How did manipulation of stats cause problems during GLF

Chang quote on Mao’s decisions
Terrill quote

Answer 2

Manipulation of stats = artificially inflating production figures to fulfill arbitrary quotas. This resulted in China selling non-existing grain + dangerous perception of apparently having plenty of food

e.g. officials thought collecting 30% of peasant’s grain, h/w actually collecting 90%

Chang: Mao = had a ‘disregard for reality’ b/c only accepted inflated figures

Terrill: Mao’s attitude towards figures = ‘reinforced unrealistic nature of the Great Leap Forward’

Question 3

What was decided at Wuhan Plenum

Answer 3

28th Nov - 10th Dec

Party realized that figures X match reality. Agreed on pulling black levies to 370 mil tons from 450 mil
h/w still way too high
Also increased peasants to work by allowing small farms and closing communal kitchens

Question 4

What happened at Lushan Plenum

Answer 4

Higher Authority meeting (politburo) than at Wuhan

Peng Dehuai = criticize Mao in private letter, Mao’s ideas = championed over all other considerations which leads to unrealistic & dangerous situations (such as inflating production figures)

Although Mao offered self criticism of his mistakes he also blames the party for not pointing out his mistakes (contradicting himself) - relate to Chang quote ‘disregard for reality’

Question 5

How did Lushan Plenum increase Mao’s control of the party by 1960

Salisbury quote to describe politburo

Answer 5

After conference, Mao made it very clear that he had the utmost authority - no linger would the politburo challenge his views

Salisbury: ‘Mao had turned his band of brothers into a claque (hired to clap at performance)

Question 6

Causes of Three Bad Years Famine

Question 7

Consequences of Three Bad Years Famine

Question 8

Impact of Sino-Soviet Split