The Great Leap Forward - Mao Zedong and the History of China

Explore Mao Zedong's "Great Leap Forward" initiative in this 30-minute video lecture from the series "The Fall and Rise of China." Examine the major components of this ambitious economic development plan, including mass mobilization of rural workers, backyard steel production, and the establishment of people's communes. Analyze the reasons behind its catastrophic failure, such as faulty engineering and massive bureaucratic errors. Delve into topics like the decline of intellectualism, the shift to communalism, and the impact on female labor. Investigate the notorious blast furnace campaign, the war against nature, and the elimination of capitalism. Learn about the consequences of inflated food quotas, infrastructure failures, and lasting environmental damage. Understand how initial optimism turned to despair as the movement's shortcomings became apparent, culminating in Mao's admission of its failures.