The Great Famine, 1958-62 Flashcards
Find some data to illustrate the disastrous agricultural and industrial output to the Great Leap Forward.
An estimated 45 million people died from the famine caused by it.
Make a list of things that those who were starving did to try to get food.
Some people ate mud. People went out in search for food and often died far from home due to starvation and exhaustion.
Some were driven to cannibalism, eating children.
What were the causes of the famine?
The weather - typhoon caused flooding, drought reduced the flow of the Yellow River.
Mao’s beliefs - ‘ends justify the means’, Mao was prepared for China to suffer any amount of sacrifice to become a world power.
Over-ambition - Mao tried to develop the communes during the launch of the Second Five Year Plan, not enough manpower to do everything.
Demotivation of peasants - peasants had no property and therefore, no incentive as what was produced was taken from them.
