Collectivisation of agriculture

• 1951
• Consisted of 10 or fewer households
• Pooled equipment and labour  (at harvest time)
• Ownership of land and produce remained private

By 1952.....

• 40% of peasant households in "Mutual aid teams"

• 1951
• Consisted of 30 - 50 households
• Members pooled labour, animals and equipment
• Privately owned - under government management
• Richer peasants given money to pool their resources (equipment and animals).
• Only reached south east China in 1954

• Mao feared peasant resistance (like in Russia)
• 1953 he condemned "Rash Advance" to APC's
• Led to capitalism in countryside amongst rich peasants.
• Led to condemnation of "Rash Retreat"

• New effort to push though APC's
• Peasant resistance e.g. (slaughtering of animals)
• Floods = poor harvest + riots

January 1955....

• Mao halts APC's - 1/7 houses in them

April 1955....

• Mao returns to being dogmatic, does not compromise about APC's.

• July 1955
• Mao pushed foward dream of "socialist countryside"

By January 1956....

• 80% households in APC's

• Became more common
• No provate ownership
• No compensation
• 200 - 300 households

End of 1956....

• 88% of peasants in this
• Gave governement more control over rural China.
• Ideological victory
• Lost communists support of millions of peasants
• Reduced debts of poorest peasants - back to grass roots