Mao 5 year plans Flashcards
(10 cards)
What were the main goals of Mao’s First Five-Year Plan (1953–1957)?
To rapidly industrialize China by prioritizing heavy industry (steel, coal, machinery) and collectivize agriculture to increase efficiency and support industrial growth.
Industrial output doubled, with heavy industry’s share rising from 26% to 48%, laying the foundation for China’s industrial economy but causing agricultural imbalances.
What was the scale and focus of investment during the First Five-Year Plan?
Approximately 77 billion yuan invested, with about 60% allocated to capital construction in heavy industries; agriculture received only 2.4%.
This skewed investment caused rapid industrial growth but limited agricultural productivity improvements, contributing to later food shortages.
How did industrial output change during the First Plan?
Industrial production increased by 128.6%, coal output nearly doubled, and steel production rose significantly.
China reduced reliance on imports and strengthened its industrial base, crucial for economic independence.
What changes occurred in agriculture during the First Plan?
Grain production increased by about 25%, with 97% of peasants organized into cooperatives by 1957.
While output rose, collectivization disrupted traditional farming, limiting productivity gains.
What were the objectives of the Great Leap Forward (Second Five-Year Plan, 1958–1962)?
To rapidly increase steel and agricultural output through mass mobilization and establishment of large people’s communes, aiming to surpass Western industrial powers.
Unrealistic targets and forced collectivization led to a catastrophic famine, causing an estimated 15–30 million deaths and economic collapse.
Why did the Great Leap Forward fail?
Due to centrally imposed unrealistic production quotas, poor steel quality from backyard furnaces, and agricultural disruption from communes.
Severe food shortages, economic disarray, and loss of public trust in government policies.
What were the key goals of the Third Five-Year Plan (1966–1970)?
To rebuild the economy focusing on heavy industry and national defense, especially developing the ‘Third Front’ industrial base in interior regions.
Industrial growth slowed due to the Cultural Revolution’s political turmoil; consumer goods production remained low.
How did the Cultural Revolution impact the Third Plan?
It disrupted economic planning and reduced productivity by targeting intellectuals and managers, causing widespread instability.
Economic modernization stalled, and resources prioritized military over civilian needs.
What role did Soviet aid play in China’s First Five-Year Plan?
The USSR provided $300 million in loans, technology, and experts, enabling rapid industrial development.
Aid jumpstarted industrialization but created dependence and ended abruptly in 1960 due to Sino-Soviet tensions.
What social transformations accompanied Mao’s Five-Year Plans?
Rapid collectivization of agriculture, urban migration, and establishment of communes to promote socialist ideology.
Traditional rural structures were dismantled, increasing state control but also causing social disruption.
