The First Five-Year Plan 1952-56 Flashcards
What was the first five year plan closely modelled on?
Stalin’s plans for industry in the USSR—
It had successfully helped them defeat Germany.
The decision to model the first five year plan on the soviet model was not only ideological.
How was it also practical?
Soviet Union was China’s only major ally.
A grain embargo imposed by the western powers as a result of China’s involvement in the Korean War meant that China had few trading partners and was forced to rely on economic help from the Soviet Union.
Later: Mao bitterly regretted adopting the Soviet model without ADAPTING it to Chinese circumstances
What was the Sino-Soviet Mutual Assistance Treaty?
February 1950
China and the Soviet Union has undertaken to:
“render the other all possible economic assistance and carry out necessary co-operation”
What was the Soviet support like under the Sino-Soviet Mutual Assistance Treaty?
Extensive and Essential
Loan of $300 million over five years 💰
Help with the construction of iron and steel plants 🔩
Electric power stations 💡
Machinery plants 🎛
Eleven thousand experts from the USSR and Communist Eastern Europe were sent to China: provide Training, Advice, Technical Help.☝🏼🗣🙏🏼
What were the first five year plan’s targets? Bro.
Quickly increase China’s heavy industries (eg, coal, steel):
Constructing advanced industrial plants with modern machines
Mao wanted China to be self-sufficient
(In particular) Industrial plants could supply the PLA with the modern weapons needed to protect China from the aggression of the West
The successes of the first five year plan?
- annual growth rate of over 9%
- most targets set by plan reached or easily surpassed
- some spectacular engineering works were undertaken (often for propaganda purposes)— massive bridge across the Yangtze
- living standards and job security guaranteed
- population of towns and cities doubled to over 100m
- the CCP established greater control over the people, improved housing, health care, education: organised into DANWEI, provided permits for welfare, travel, marriage
The failures of the first five year plan?
- TARGETS: many factories sacrificed quality for quantity to meet them, often exaggerated output levels
- SKILLS: most Chinese workers had low levels of literacy and basic skills— held back economic growth in the long and short term
- ADMINISTRATORS: lacked organisational and managerial EXPErience—> lack of co-operation between industries and central planners—> often causing bottlenecks in production
