The Great Leap Forward (1958–1962) was a Chinese campaign led by Mao Zedong to rapidly industrialize and collectivize agriculture. It aimed to transform China into a socialist powerhouse but resulted in widespread economic failure and a devastating famine, causing 15–45 million deaths. The policy was later abandoned and is considered one of the most catastrophic social experiments in history.
During the Great Leap Forward, local governments followed and enforced central policies with extreme measures. Their key policies included:
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Forced Collectivization – Merged individual farms into large communes, eliminating private farming.
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Exaggerated Production Reports – Falsely inflated crop and steel output to meet quotas and avoid punishment.
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Backyard Furnaces – Pushed rural communities to produce steel in small, inefficient furnaces.
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Communal Living – Enforced shared dining halls and property within communes.
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Suppression of Dissent – Punished those who questioned policies or reported failures.
These actions, driven by pressure to meet unrealistic targets, led to poor planning, resource mismanagement, and ultimately a massive famine. Those pictures were promoted during the period.