Mao's early changes in agriculture

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  • Created by: jimmyvm
  • Created on: 18-05-22 16:39

Agricultural Producers Cooperatives and The Communes

Advantages

  • APC's were bigger than MAT's, approx 30- 50 households
  • Land was reoganised into a single unit and private farming abolished, peasants got access to their wealthy neighbours land.
  • Peasants got compensation of money or grain after each harvest
  • Points based system according to the value of their land
  • Communes were a way for Mao to target propoganda
  • Communes would bring China closer to the 'perfect communist society' while maintaining revolutionary vigour
  • APC's grew rapidly, 88% of households were in them by 1956

Disadvantages

  • APCs were not as popular as MATs
  • Rich peasants refused to join and did not want to give up land and often killed their livestock rather than handing it over
  • production did not rise much, less than 2% 1953-54
  • Communes had a devastating impact on family life
  • Diets were poor and production fell
  • four pests campaign
  • Communes marked the start of the Great Leap Forward, but decended into the nightmare of the Great  Famine

Evaluation

In the eyes of Mao, Communes were a way forward towards the utopian communist China he envisioned. Although changes were indeed profound, with the abolishement of private farming and the complete alteration of family life, the reality of it was dark. The Communes marked the start of the Great Leap Forward, but decended into the nightmare of The Great Famine.

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