The First Five Year Plan Flashcards
When was the FFYP?
1952-56
What did Mao base the plan on?
Mao’s early attempts to modernise the Chinese economy carried the stamp of soviet influence and he therefore based his ‘first five year plan’ on the Soviet model which revolutionised the Soviet economy from 1929-53.
What was the aim of the plan?
To boost China’s industry and to tackle steel, coal and iron production.
How much did population rise between 1949-57?
It rose from 57 million to 100 million.
In the first 2 years of CCP rule, how much did inflation drop by? How did they achieve this?
It dropped from 1000% to 15% by:
Slashing public expenditure.
Raising tax rates on urban dwellers.
Replacing the old dollar with yuan.
Give an example of a civil engineering project.
The building of a road and rail bridge over the Yangzi River and Nanjing.
What was China’s growth rate between 1953-7?
9%.
In what year did the PRC and the USSR sign a treaty of friendship? What was the outcome/What did Stalin provide China with?
In Feb 1950, they signed a friendship treaty. Stalin agreed to give China 300 million US dollars in aid over the next five years.
How did the USSR help with the ‘FFYP’ and how did they help boost the Chinese economy?
They send 10,000 scientists and other experts over to teach the Chinese.
694 industry projects were started in 1953 and the most important ones were built by the Russians.
How many people could read and write by the end of the ‘FFYP’ compared to 1949?
In 1949 only 1 in 10 people could read and write compared to 1 in 4 in 1956.
How many people were living in towns in 1957?
92 million.
Why did the bargain the PRC and the SU strike up in 1950 prove to be more in favour of the SU?
Because all of the money the SU leant to China ($300 billion) had to be paid back with interest. Only 5% of the industrial investment leant to China was genuine industrial investment.
What was the purpose of the ‘Resist America, Aid Korea’ campaign? When was it?
1951-52. It’s fundamental aim was to aid Korea in the war. However it was used as a way to rally citizens willing to fight on China’s behalf - people who volunteered were regarded as ‘volunteers’. The campaigns were also designed to create hatred towards the US.
What was the aim of the ‘Patriotic Health Campaign’?
How did it improve health?
It aimed to improve sanitation, hygiene, as well as attack diseases common in China such as cholera, TB and smallpox.
Over 300 million people were vaccinated.
Sanitation reform was implemented through the introduction of clean water structures and waste disposal structures.
