Question

In the context of the civil war and the establishment of the People’s Republic in China, answer the following question:

What important economic changes were introduced by Mao Tse Tung under the Great Leap Forward?

Answer 1

1. This policy was specifically designed for the Chinese context and was not copied from the Russian model. It brought major developments in both agriculture and industry. Its primary purpose was to increase agricultural production and to shape industrial growth in accordance with Chinese needs.
2. The first step was the establishment of Communes, in which people worked together on collective farms and carried out local administrative duties through an elected council. In the communes, every family received a portion of the profits earned from selling the produce.
3. In the second step, less importance was given to large-scale industries. Instead, small-scale industries and factories were established to provide the tools and machinery required by farmers.
4. Under Communist leadership, several public welfare projects, including road construction and the construction of dams and reservoirs, were undertaken.
5. Mao proposed establishing approximately 6,00,000 backyard furnaces, to be managed and organised by the communes.
6. Initially, the programme appeared unsuccessful for several reasons. However, in the long run, it proved successful as agricultural and industrial output increased greatly. It was also decided that China would remain primarily an agricultural nation, and that the economy would be labour-intensive to prevent rising unemployment.