China 2 – Agriculture & industry, 1949-65
Core knowledge
Agriculture
Agrarian Land Reform: begun 1949, law 1950. Different situations in north &
south. 1-2 million landlords executed after struggle meetings. 88% of households
involved, 43% land redistributed to 60% of population. 1950-52 agricultural Key dates
production up 15%pa 1950 – Agrarian Land
MATs – 1951. 10 households. Peasants pooled tools, labour, ploughs & animals. Reform Law
Often family groups. Formalised existing arrangements. 1952 40% in MATs. Sino-Soviet
APCs – 1953. 30-50 households. Voluntary. Land managed as a single unit. Mutual
Peasants compensated (points system) for land, labour & tools in money or Assistance
grain.14% joined and only 16.9million out of 110million in APCs by 1955. Treaty
1951 – MATs
Production only 2%pa. Some resistance from richer peasants.
1952 – First 5 Year Plan
Higher APCs – 1955. Disagreement between gradualists and radicals over pace of 1953 – APCs
collectivisation. Liu & Zhou against. Mao & local cadres in favour. 200-300 1954 – New
households. 96% in APCs by Dec 1956, 88% in higher-APCs. Compensation for Constitution
labour, not land or equipment. 1955 – Higher APCs
Communes – 1958. Mass participation. c5000 households. 740,000 APCs Hundred Flowers
26,000 communes (99% of population). Combined agricultural & industrial 1958 – 1st Commune
production (Walking on two legs). Mess halls, dormitories, creches, schools, Great Leap
‘happiness homes’. Work paid in points. Destroyed family life. 4 pests (sparrows, Forward (2nd
5YP)
rats, flies, mosquitos) = plague of caterpillars. Lysenkoism = official policy.
1959 – Famine begins
Agricultural production fell. Cadres lied about meeting targets. FAMINE.
Lushun
Industry Conference
First 5 Year Plan 1952-56 – focus = heavy industry. Aim = self-sufficiency 1960 – Soviet advisers
o Soviet Assistance: iron & steel plants, electric power stations, machinery leave
plants, experts. Retreat from GLF
o Successes: 16% growth pa, industrial production up 15.5%pa, HI tripled, 1961 – Grain imports
geological exploitation of minerals, working class grew from 6million to 1962 – Power struggle
10 million, standard of living for workers, end to private industry, CCP between Mao &
control . Liu & Deng
Pragmatic
o Failures: dependent on loans from USSR, agriculture only grew 2.1%pa,
reforms
consumer goods, experience, health & education not prioritised 1964 – Chinese A-bomb
Second 5 Year Plan 1958-62 – The Great Leap Forward – Mass Participation & tested
‘Walking on Two Legs’ Key words
o Successes: irrigation schemes, Tiananmen Square, 3 Gorges Dam, Agrarian Reform Law
Ideologically Socialist system Mutual Aid Teams
o Failures: closure of factories, Backyard Furnaces (useless steel, loss of (MATs)
agricultural implements & household items). Industrial production fell Agricultural Producers
40%, loss of Soviet experts. Co-operatives (APCs)
Famine - 1959-62 – 30 million died. Cannibalism, prostitution to survive, made worse by Communes
Sputnik
typhoons & droughts. Peng Dehuai raised concerns at Lushun Conference July 1959.
Lushun
Exiled. MISSED OPPORTUNITY Backyard Furnaces
Pragmatism 1962-65 - Mao resigned as President (NOT CHAIRMAN) 1958. Liu Shaoqi = Mass participation
Head of State. 1962 – Liu admitted famine = man-made Walking on Two Legs
Third 5 Year Plan designed by Chen Yun. Promotion of experts, reduced role of Lysenkoism
low-level cadres
Communes scaled back, private plots & markets allowed, aid sent from cities
(insecticides, fertilisers, small farm tools). 1965 production back to 1957 levels.
Profitability emphasised in industry, production used to support agriculture. Light
industry grew 27%pa. Heavy industry grew 17%pa. Consumer goods = double
1957 level.
‘WOW’ the examiner knowledge
Communes took off after newspapers quoted Mao saying ‘The People’s Commune Is Great” – he may have read this from a sign in a
field, but it was printed as his view. The first commune was named ‘Sputnik’ after the Russian satellite
The 1st 5 Year Plan produced more than double the number of bicycles targeted
Core knowledge
Agriculture
Agrarian Land Reform: begun 1949, law 1950. Different situations in north &
south. 1-2 million landlords executed after struggle meetings. 88% of households
involved, 43% land redistributed to 60% of population. 1950-52 agricultural Key dates
production up 15%pa 1950 – Agrarian Land
MATs – 1951. 10 households. Peasants pooled tools, labour, ploughs & animals. Reform Law
Often family groups. Formalised existing arrangements. 1952 40% in MATs. Sino-Soviet
APCs – 1953. 30-50 households. Voluntary. Land managed as a single unit. Mutual
Peasants compensated (points system) for land, labour & tools in money or Assistance
grain.14% joined and only 16.9million out of 110million in APCs by 1955. Treaty
1951 – MATs
Production only 2%pa. Some resistance from richer peasants.
1952 – First 5 Year Plan
Higher APCs – 1955. Disagreement between gradualists and radicals over pace of 1953 – APCs
collectivisation. Liu & Zhou against. Mao & local cadres in favour. 200-300 1954 – New
households. 96% in APCs by Dec 1956, 88% in higher-APCs. Compensation for Constitution
labour, not land or equipment. 1955 – Higher APCs
Communes – 1958. Mass participation. c5000 households. 740,000 APCs Hundred Flowers
26,000 communes (99% of population). Combined agricultural & industrial 1958 – 1st Commune
production (Walking on two legs). Mess halls, dormitories, creches, schools, Great Leap
‘happiness homes’. Work paid in points. Destroyed family life. 4 pests (sparrows, Forward (2nd
5YP)
rats, flies, mosquitos) = plague of caterpillars. Lysenkoism = official policy.
1959 – Famine begins
Agricultural production fell. Cadres lied about meeting targets. FAMINE.
Lushun
Industry Conference
First 5 Year Plan 1952-56 – focus = heavy industry. Aim = self-sufficiency 1960 – Soviet advisers
o Soviet Assistance: iron & steel plants, electric power stations, machinery leave
plants, experts. Retreat from GLF
o Successes: 16% growth pa, industrial production up 15.5%pa, HI tripled, 1961 – Grain imports
geological exploitation of minerals, working class grew from 6million to 1962 – Power struggle
10 million, standard of living for workers, end to private industry, CCP between Mao &
control . Liu & Deng
Pragmatic
o Failures: dependent on loans from USSR, agriculture only grew 2.1%pa,
reforms
consumer goods, experience, health & education not prioritised 1964 – Chinese A-bomb
Second 5 Year Plan 1958-62 – The Great Leap Forward – Mass Participation & tested
‘Walking on Two Legs’ Key words
o Successes: irrigation schemes, Tiananmen Square, 3 Gorges Dam, Agrarian Reform Law
Ideologically Socialist system Mutual Aid Teams
o Failures: closure of factories, Backyard Furnaces (useless steel, loss of (MATs)
agricultural implements & household items). Industrial production fell Agricultural Producers
40%, loss of Soviet experts. Co-operatives (APCs)
Famine - 1959-62 – 30 million died. Cannibalism, prostitution to survive, made worse by Communes
Sputnik
typhoons & droughts. Peng Dehuai raised concerns at Lushun Conference July 1959.
Lushun
Exiled. MISSED OPPORTUNITY Backyard Furnaces
Pragmatism 1962-65 - Mao resigned as President (NOT CHAIRMAN) 1958. Liu Shaoqi = Mass participation
Head of State. 1962 – Liu admitted famine = man-made Walking on Two Legs
Third 5 Year Plan designed by Chen Yun. Promotion of experts, reduced role of Lysenkoism
low-level cadres
Communes scaled back, private plots & markets allowed, aid sent from cities
(insecticides, fertilisers, small farm tools). 1965 production back to 1957 levels.
Profitability emphasised in industry, production used to support agriculture. Light
industry grew 27%pa. Heavy industry grew 17%pa. Consumer goods = double
1957 level.
‘WOW’ the examiner knowledge
Communes took off after newspapers quoted Mao saying ‘The People’s Commune Is Great” – he may have read this from a sign in a
field, but it was printed as his view. The first commune was named ‘Sputnik’ after the Russian satellite
The 1st 5 Year Plan produced more than double the number of bicycles targeted
