survey

Question 1

1950 agrarian land reform

Answer 1

50% of land changed hands within a few years. Landlords were denunciated and around 1 million were killed. In 1952, peasant families began to live in communes with collective land ownership. By 1956 around 60% of the peasant populations lived in cooperatives. Full state ownership of land by 1957.

Question 2

First Five Year Plan (dates and goals)

Answer 2

1953-1957
• China to boost industry section with clear goals and loans from USSR
• State control of all business and industry
• Nationalisation push called ‘socialist transformation of industry’

Question 3

First Five Year Plan (outcomes)

Answer 3

Increase in steel production from 1.3 million tonnes in 1952 to 5.2 million in 1957. Between 1949 and 1957, the population almost doubled

Question 4

Frank Dikotter on the Great Leap Forward

Answer 4

“one of the worst catastrophes the world has ever known” and estimates at least 45 million were worked, starved or beaten to death.

Question 5

impacts of the GLF

Answer 5

Resulted in large scale famine which killed between 20 and 55 million people between 1959 and 1962.

divisions within the party began to emerge over economic policy.
Mao’s personal power declined.
The quality of backyard steel produced was poor and grain production fell.

Question 6

political legacy of the 1949 revolution to 1957

Answer 6

• one party state controlled by the CCP
• democratic republic declared, but limited democracy
• party had firm control over all of China
• Mao was clear and undisputed leader
• alliance wit USSR, dissolving by 1957
• successful participation in Korea increased China’s reputation
• PLA continued to play an important role but was firmly controlled by the CCP

Question 7

economic legacy of the 1949 revolution to 1957

Answer 7

• stabilised economy recovering from years of war
• improved industrial capacity
• significant growth in urban population
• land reform
• wide level of agricultural collectivisation
• state owned enterprises established

Question 8

social legacy of the 1949 revolution to 1957

Answer 8

• widespread acceptance of desire for transformation to socialism with fanshen embraced
• landlord class removed
• divide between urban and rural remained
• religious worship greatly decreased, replaced by state propaganda and expected loyalty to state and party
• improved education systems and increased literacy rates
• equality for women declared
• culture of informers developed in order to comply and to avoid being denounced as a class enemy or revisionist