What was the purpose of China's "Great Leap Forward"?
1 Answer
To accelerate China's the growth of China's industrial and agricultural production.
Explanation:
Having consolidated his power from the setting up of Communist China in 1949, Mao Ze Dung wanted to improve China's economy through greater production. He could not do this using foreign aid and trade as China was isolated in the international community.
This was partly through US foreign policy recognising Taiwan as the official government of China and also Mao's deep distrust and suspicion of foreigners.
Mao launched The Great Leap Forwards in 1958. It is difficult to secure, even today a full picture of what happened, However it is widely seen as having been a disaster. The collectivisation of farms into huge communes within a highly centralised system led to a famine which killed tens of millions.
In industry Mao set ambitious targets to greatly increase steel production through small scale backyard furnaces. However most of the steel produced was so poor it couldn't be used.
It was not until Mao's death in 1976 and the subsequent coming to power of moderates such as Deng Xiao Ping that China opened up to the West and embarked on probably the most rapid and expansive industrialisation programme in history.
