china second half Flashcards
(36 cards)
What is the major principle of the First Five-year Plan?
One transformation (socialist industrialisation) and three changes (in industry, agriculture and handicraft, and private industry and commerce).
What are the reforms and its respective goals in industry?
To prioritise heavy industry before light industry and agriculture, to initiate key construction projects (690) with USSR aid and inspiration, and develop new industries like car to meet the high production targets and promote industrialisation.
How was its impact? Was it successful?
It successfully promoted economic growth and all targets were reached, basically completing industrialisation and socialist transformation in China. Total heavy industry output grew 120% and steel output grew 98%. Planned economy was also promoted as the government decided the production direction and set targets.
What are the reforms in agriculture and handicraft?
Cooperatives were set up with 100-300 households each. They shared all materials like raw materials, land and farming tools, and produced together. The “work more, gain more” approach was adopted to distribute wages.
How was its impact? Was it successful?
96% and 92% of the peasants joined them respectively, showing a large scope of collectivisation. It kickstarted the collectivisation development of China, and socialist transformation was basically completed.
What are the reforms in private industry and commerce?
Private ownership was abolished replaced with state-owned enterprises and transport.
How was its impact? Was it successful?
99% of privately owned resources became state-owned, showing a large scope of public ownership. Socialist transformation was basically complete.
What are the negative impacts of the plan?
First, it created false optimism due to its economic success, causing the downfall of the Great Leap Forward where a serious famine occurred. The leaders were too ambitious and made rash decisions to carry out socialism in the economy too quickly while disregarding the actual situation. Secondly, socialist transformation was too hurried and done with reckless haste. Cadres couldn’t manage large cooperatives easily which led to inefficiency in agricultural production. Thirdly, there was an imbalance in agricultural and industrial development. Since the reform emphasised heavy industry, agriculture was neglected. It led to a lack of raw materials for industry as well. The growth rate of industry was four times that of agriculture, showing serious imbalance.
What is the Hundred Flowers Campaign? What happened, why was it initiated, and what was its consequence?
Mao Zedong proposed this to promote the flourishing of arts and sciences, allowing freedom of speech where people can express their opinions freely. However, people began to criticise Mao and his ruling, such as advocating the release of prisoners imprisoned because of the Three Antis, Five Antis Movement. Hence, to preserve his reputation, he ended the movement and criticised them for being rightists, so China never had freedom of speech again.
What is the major principle of the Great Leap Forward?
The Three Red Banners (General Line for Socialist Construction, Great Leap Forward in Industry and Agriculture, and People’s Communes).
What was the quote for the General Line for Socialist Construction?
Aim high, achieve greater, better, faster and more economical results in building socialism.
What were Mao’s principles regarding the Great Leap Forward?
He believed that China would be able to become a modernised economy quickly as long as there was mass mobilisation of the people, without needing to rely on foreign support nor technology and expertise. He aimed to surpass Britain and catch up with the US in 15 years.
What happened in the industry aspect? What was its impact?
600,000 backyard steel furnaces were set up, where people smelt iron and steel everyday. They used their household utensils to make them, and they had to reach high production targets, double the previous amount. However, only 1/4 ended up in good quality due to the lack of technology in the production process and being too rushed in meeting the ambitious targets, causing a waste of resources. However, it successfully promoted collectivisation through large-scale joint production, and showed the nature of a planned economy.
What happened in the agriculture aspect? What was its impact?
People were encouraged to make satellite fields and plough deep, plant close in order to increase yields. However, due to the high production targets and fierce competition across the country due to the winds of exaggeration, where the People’s Daily reported exaggerated numbers, people overestimated the food supply which caused a lack of food planning, so people kept eating without realising that food supply was insufficient, so a famine happened eventually, causing 30 million deaths. However, it shows the nature of a planned economy.
What were the People’s Communes? What happened?
They were large-scale production units promoting collectivisation. Their principle was “first, big, and second, publicly owned”, with 5000 households each and over 99% of the people joining. Everything was publicly owned from resources to materials to land, and they advocated “eating from the big pot”. It shows planned economy and collectivisation, as well as public ownership, and the extent of collectivisation was increased with more people participating and a larger extent of collaboration from just economic aspects to administrative ones too, like building and running schools and the communal canteens. However, since they ate as much as they wanted and earned equal amounts of remuneration regardless of amount of work put in, they were lazy and slacked off, so food supply was dire, causing serious famine.
How did the Great Leap Forward contribute to the Cultural Revolution?
Since Mao caused serious damage due to the Great Leap Forward, he stepped down and apologised. Liu Xiaoqi replaced him instead. He promoted “three freedoms and one fixed quota” in the economy, which involved capitalist elements of market economy. This led to Mao’s discontent, so he was eager to regain power and save his reputation to get mass support again. Hence, Jiang Qing and Lin Biao helped him build a cult of personality and promote his words through the Quotations from Chairman Mao.
What were the major principles of the Cultural Revolution?
“Class struggle should be promoted everyday…” and the proletariats should overthrow the bourgeoisie class. People should all join hands to purge the capitalist roaders and revisionists. The May 16 Notice and January Storm showed these, where Red Guards purged, beat up and humiliated revolutionaries.
What was the political impact of the Cultural Revolution?
It led to the Three Beliefs Crisis, namely loss of faith in the CCP, communism and socialism. Due to irrational killing and loss of capable leaders like Lin Biao, paralysing the government, people no longer supported the government and were concerned about its efficiency.
What was the economic impact of the Cultural Revolution?
It led to economic stagnation, as people stopped production activities due to being preoccupied with purging activity. Production declined significantly due to “redness at the expense of expertise”, and since many scientists and intellectuals were killed, economic modernisation couldn’t be promoted at all without relevant skills and knowledge. 500 billion Yuan were lost just during this event.
What was the social impact of the Cultural Revolution?
It raised women’s status and promoted gender equality. Both men and women could participate in purging, and Mao advocated “women hold up half of the sky” which asserts their capabilities and strength. He also banned polygamy and concubinage to safeguard women’s rights. However, it led to moral decline because people believed “parents may love me, but not as much as Chairman Mao”. They purged their elders like family and teachers, and Bo Xilai purged his own father. People no longer respected their elders. Moreover, cultural development declined due to the “Destroy the four olds, create the four news” movement, where people irrationally destroyed antiques and monuments, hindering cultural development of China.
What was the educational impact of the Cultural Revolution?
Educational level declined greatly, creating a generation lacking education. Knowledge was deemed useless and “the more knowledge, the more reactionary”, so scientists and intellectuals were purged. People were also too preoccupied with purging and didn’t go to school, while schools closed down. The “up to the mountains, down to the countryside” movement was also promoted where students were sent down to go farming instead of study.
What was the diplomatic impact of the Cultural Revolution?
Due to the anti-foreign sentiment, people purged foreigners, attacked embassies and foreign legations. This worsened China’s relationship with foreign countries, causing a lack of diplomatic connections and isolation on the international stage.
What were the goals of Reform and Opening-up?
To achieve Four Modernisations in agriculture, industry, national defence and technology, through education as the basis.
Common prosperity by allowing some people to get rich first.
Through methods of capitalism to achieve socialism (“It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice”).
Three-step development goal of first doubling the GNP in 1990 and 2000 respectively, then having all basic necessities settled, moderate prosperity and reaching the level of certain developed countries by 2050.
What is the responsibility system?
It allows sellers and producers to keep their profits after meeting government targets. “Work more, gain more” is promoted where workers who do better receive more income, and those who perform badly may be laid off to minimise production costs. They are fully responsible for all losses and gains, and to make all production decisions with limited intervention only. This greatly raised production incentive in both agricultural and industrial sectors, causing rapid economic growth. Individualism was adopted rather than collectivisation.
