The Second Five-Year Plan 1958-62 Flashcards
What was happening in agriculture during the first five year plan?
Production still low, in contrast to industry.
Mao knew it needed to become more efficient to feed urban workers (who were building modern factories)
What was one of Mao’s key beliefs: mass mobilisation?
China didn’t have much technology, but did have manpower— some 600m people.
Dismissive of experts and intellectuals, he believed in mass mobilisation:
If people WORKED TOGETHER with a REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT, with great strength of will
• any target could be attained
• any obstacle overcome
Why did Mao have no choice but to rely on mass mobilisation to increase production?
Even if he wanted to rely on Orthodox economic planning, there were few experts left (after the Anti-Rightist campaign) to advise him or warn against his folly
He had good reason to feel confident that his policy would be a success
Mao’s reasons for launching the Second Five-Year Plan:
Transform China
Into a great economic power.
Wanted to place China as the leading Communist nation in Asia.
1957: Khrushchev said, in dramatic speech, he would overtake the US (in industrial production) by 1980
NOT TO BE OUTDONE, MAO told the party:
“We just start a technological revolution so that we may overtake Britain in fifteen or more years”
Wanted to show he could make China strong by following a specifically Chinese path, independent of the SU
Mao’s reasons for launching the Second Five-Year Plan:
The success of industry during the first five year plan
Agriculture: faltered
Industrial production: risen dramatically
This convinced him that very rapid and very large improvements in agricultural production could be made
Mao’s reasons for launching the Second Five-Year Plan:
Communists were winning the Cold War
Optimism further enhanced
Communist technology APPEARED more advanced than that of the west:
• Sputnik (1957) space race looked won
Speech in Moscow, 1957– Mao: “The East wind is prevailing over the West wind”
Mao’s reasons for launching the Second Five-Year Plan:
He wanted to achieve “Walking on Two Legs”
Increasing both agricultural and industrial production at the same time
“General Steel” and “General Grain”, said the regime, are in charge of the economy.
Mao’s reasons for launching the Second Five-Year Plan:
Lack of opponents
Anti-Rightist campaign: no longer any opponents who would openly disagree with Mao’s political policies.
Best way to advance career? Everyone in the party knew: agree with Mao.
No experts levy to disagree, challenge or suggest alternative, more logical policies.
What happened with regards to State-owned enterprises during the Great Leap Forward?
Industrial firms: taken over to create state-owned enterprises.
Parry dictated: 1) the prices the businesses could charge
2) the production targeted they had to meet
(For the good of the nation, not for profit)
What happened to workers during the creation of state-owned enterprises?
Wages were set by the party at a guaranteed level
Given home, healthcare, education
Why were the state-owned enterprises of the Great Leap Forward inefficient?
WORKERS If don’t matter how much effort a worker put in, he was still being paid the same: he had v little incentive to be productive
MANAGERS not rewarded for being efficient either: any surplus was taken away by the state anyway.
