These revolutionary movements culminated in one of human history’s most epic catastrophes, the Great Leap Forward (1958-1961). This movement completed the full-scale collectivization of Chinese agriculture, which proved disastrous. The resulting famine killed an estimated 30 million people. Ignoring calls for prudence from some advisors like Chen Yun, Mao thought he could: …lead the Chinese… Read more »
Mao was convinced his new government would slip into complacency if the revolution wasn’t made “permanent.” In his first decade in office, he enacted many reforms, including the following: Land confiscation and reform (1950), executing million landlords. Marriage law reform (1950), fundamentally changing the status of women. Joining the Korean War against the United States… Read more »
Mao was fond of saying that the Chinese people were “first of all, poor, and secondly blank,” but getting the Chinese people to that state involved quite a bit of work on Mao’s part. Unlike earlier intellectuals whose rebellious nerves wavered later in life, Mao’s drive to destroy and dismantle only increased after the Communist… Read more »