- 43% of land redistributed to 60% population 1952
- Between 1950 and 1952 total agricultural production increased at a rate 15% of per annum
- Estimated 1 to 2 million landlords executed
- Groups of 10 households
- By 1952 an estimated 40% of all peasants belonged to MATs
- August 1958 Politburo declared the communes to be 'the basic social units of the communist society'
- By the end of the year 740,000 coops reorganised into 26,000 communes
- Party claimed 99% of peasant population lived in communes
- Average size 5500 households
- Private ownership of land and livestock abolished
- Grandparents free to spend times with others in happiness homes
- Between 1958 and 1959 90% of women worked in agriculture
- All able bodied men between 15 and 50 belonged to the militia
- Closely mirrored Soviet industrial model
- 'The communist party of the soviet union is our best teacher and we must learn from it' - Mao
- 'The Soviet Union today is our tomorrow' slogan
- Sino soviet mutual assistance treaty 1950
- Help included...
24 power stations
63 machinery plants
11,000 Soviet and Eastern European industrial experts sent
Inviting 28,000 Chinese technicians to study in Russia
Loan over $300 million over next 5 years
Targets
- According to CCP stats
- Output in 1949 10-20% of pre war peak
- Under 50% in coal
- Roughly 75% in electricity
- 70-90% in most consumer goods
Results
- Annual growth rate around 16%
- Industrial output grew by 15.5% a year (target 14.7%)
- Heavy industrial output nearly tripled
- Railway Freight volume more than doubled
- Industrial working class grew 6 million to 10 million
- Standard of living for industrial workers improved
- Greater job security
- Work guaranteed all year round
- Dependent on loans with high interest rates from SU
- Supply consumer goods low - helped because people instead bought government bonds
- Disorganised
- Little investment in improving education or healthcare
- Poor living standards E.g. shortage of doctors and most received only basic healthcare
- Value agricultural output grew average of 2.1%
- Had been 14.1% during 1949-52
Absurd targets
- January 1958 Ministry of metallurgy
- We will more than double steel production to 20 million tonnes by 1962
- 100 million by 1970
- Mao lost all sense of reality
- "Let's make it snappy! Let's just double it! Why dilly-dally? Let's make it 11 million tonnes
- Said when reviewing steel production target to raise production from 6 million to 9 million
- Many factories closed because of the shortages of raw materials
- By 1962 industrial production had declined by 40% from 1958-9 levels
- Anhui was self sufficient but so much grain taken that 8 million died
- Tibet 1 million died - greatest amount by proportion of the population
- - Intentionally took lots of grain and gave little rations in return
- - communists didn't trust because loyal to Dalai Lama
Why?
- Typhoons caused flooding in South China
- 8 out of 12 main rivers in Shandong dried up
- More than 60% affected by either floods or drought
- 2 million died drowning or starved when crops destroyed
- Summer 1960 14,000 soviet scientists by September none
- As the people of Henan starved the local party boss built 7 luxurious villas for high ranking guests
- In Sichuan the population fell by 6 million between 1957 and 1961 - local party secretary "which dynasty has not witnessed death by starvation?"
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