Unit 2: How and why did the system of land ownership change during 1949-57? Flashcards
What was Mao’s approach to modernise China?
Mao aimed to modernise the country through urbanisation and industrialization.
He dismissed the advice of experts and supported mass participation of the peasantry.
He claimed that it had enabled the Communist to defeat the Japanese and the Nationalists.
What was the Agrarian Reform law, 1950?
Aimed to eradicate the exploitation of peasants by the landlord class which was a step towards industrialization.
It may be argued that landlords did not dominate society, but Mao needed to create an impression that there was a ruling class to gain peasant support.
The property of rural landlords was confiscated and redistributed to the peasants. However, many peasants lacked the knowledge and resources to cultivate the land productively which caused a disruption to food supplies and markets that led to shortages and price rises.
How was collectivisation approached?
From 1951, peasants would pool their labour, animals and equipment into mutual aid teams MAT. - managed by peasant associations. - voluntary , but outsiders suffered so peasants felt obliged to join.
MATs were successful therefore in 1952 they combined to form agricultural Producers Cooperatives APCs where land could also be ploughed and cultivated more efficiently. - to speed up the APC’s slow progress, local officials borrowed money to buy equipment, which caused them to go into debt and for Mao to call for a slowdown in 1953.
Once things stabilised in 1954, peasants started buying and selling their land and food which replicated capitalism and infuriated Mao so he renewed the pressure on peasants to join APC’s which caused resistance: peasants often slaughtered their animals and ate them rather than handing them over. This caused an inefficient harvest in 1954 so the government requisitioned grain to feed the cities.
By 1956, three percent of peasants were still farming as individuals.
Why was collectivisation of agriculture beneficial?
Pooling resources would mean that the farmers could have access to advanced machinery and share experience of new techniques to improve production.
This would help meet the target of producing more food for the industrial workers.
How successful was collectivisation?
Ideologically - highly successful as the state now owned the means of production of food and the land. By 1952, an estimated 40% of all peasant households belonged to an MAT.
Politically - highly successful, initially, collectivization was slow but accelerated in 1955 and was completed by 1957. It increased the control of the party over local people.
Economically - failure as over the period of the first Five year plan food production had increased by 3.8% per annum, which was insufficient to sustain the growing industrial workforce. Labour productivity was low and worsened because peasants no longer owned the land, so they did not directly benefit from the work they put in.
What were the features of the land reform policy?
Peasants would own land and be free of landlord exploitation.
The CCP would gain the rural productive forces from landlords in order to develop agricultural production.
Agricultural cooperation between farmers where they share tools, fertilisers and animals was encouraged.
Land would be collectivised.
Why was the introduction of a coherent national policy problematic?
In the north, only 10 to 15% of farmers rented their land so exploitation by landlords and class conflict was not really a problem.
In the South Communist Party organisation was weaker, and the landlords were more influential.
Land ownership and agricultural production was organised by clans with members from different classes so class conflict was limited.
