Between 1958 and 1962, the working class took further steps toward economic development. The main goal was to increase production and build a new China. Industrialization, collectivization, and the construction of People's Communes led to significant development across the country.
Western propagandists and anti-communists have claimed that millions of deaths occurred during the Great Leap Forward. But how many people actually died during this period?
The population during the Great Leap Forward did not decrease by 60 million, but by around 7 million people. The Great Leap Forward was a continuation of the Chinese land reforms. Those who were killed included landlords, criminals, rapists, corrupt bureaucrats within the Communist Party, remaining Kuomintang soldiers, war criminals, and other reactionaries.
Population of the People's Republic of China during the Great leap forward (1958-1962
Source:China Population (1950-2025)
How was the economy during the Great leap forward?
Agricultural production during the Great Leap Forward faced some challenges. Floods that occurred during this period destroyed a significant portion of China's agricultural output.
Despite these setbacks, the Great Leap Forward marked a new era for the Chinese people, as they worked to build a stable and self-reliant country. Steel production, in particular, showed notable progress. By the 1970s, Maoist China had surpassed the United Kingdom in steel output.
Production output value of agriculture, light industry and heavy industry during Chairman Mao's era.
Source: China economic reforms by Wu Jinglian
What about the famine that happened in the Great leap forward?
Between 1958 and 1962, there were no clear signs of famine, although agricultural products were rationed due to widespread flooding during that period.
In 1958, the CIA produced a documentary about the Great Leap Forward and visited the People's Republic of China. They showcased agricultural fields, heavy industry, and other sectors of industrial and agricultural development.
From 1959 to 1962, the CIA compiled a brief analysis of the Great Leap Forward. Remarkably, even the CIA that is historically opposed to socialism and acknowledged that no famine had occurred during this period.
Source: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0001098172.pdf
When even anti-communists begin to tell the truth, we can see that the claims of famine and other issues were fabricated by those who never truly examined the Great Leap Forward.
Here is the data showing the kilograms of food available during Chairman Mao's rule:
Source: China economic reforms by Wu Jinglian
As we can see, the Great Leap Forward may have faced minor challenges due to the floods that occurred between 1959 and 1962. Nevertheless, Maoist China continued to develop further after the Great Leap Forward. The campaign played a significant role in laying the foundations for a new China.
Maoist Students Collective!
Proletarians of the World, unite!
Sources and references: (1) Industrial Growth & Infrastructure Expansion CIA analysis of economic performance during the Great Leap Forward
(2) Overview of rural commune development and infrastructure
(3) State planning achievements in early Cultural Revolution (includes late-GLF)
(4) Shift in industrial investment toward agriculture and fertilizer sectors (Brill Journal)
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