2. What happened during the Great Leap Forward?

Activity 1 - What were the aims of the GLF?

Activity Tasks

Examine - Read and make notes from Slides 1-5 of the Lesson Presentation. Make notes on the aims of the GLF and Mao’s motives.
Analyse - With a partner, draw a diagram to show the political, social, agricultural and industrial aims of the GLF. On your diagram, show the links between these various aims.
Summarise - Divide a sheet of paper into four quarters. Write the following headings in the four sections: political context, economic context, international context, ideological context. Summarise the main factors that influenced Mao’s thinking on the GLF under the appropriate headings.
Discuss - “For Mao, political considerations were always more important than economic development”. Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.

Activity Tasks

Record - Examine Slides 6-21 of the Lesson Presentation. Read and make notes on the key events of the Great Leap Forward.
Create - Make an annotated timeline showing at least six key dates from the Great Leap Forward. For each event, explain what happened and why it was significant.
Analyse - Examine the poster on this worksheet, “The communes are big, the people are numerous, the natural resources abundant, it is easy to develop a diversified economy - People’s communes are good” and complete the questions that follow.
Examine - Read the following source from Mao Zedong about the People’s Communes and answer the following questions:
1. According to Mao, what changes to rural life would the communes introduce?
2. To what extent does Mao believe the communes to be superior to practices in the USSR?
3. According to Mao, Where did the idea for the communes come from?
4. What are the main characteristics of the People’s Communes?
Summarise - Using your notes, write a paragraph identifying the main elements and features of the Great Leap Forward. Include at least three separate features.

Activity Tasks

Sort - Read Slides 19-20 of the Lesson Presentation. Organise the six reasons for failure in order of importance.
Analyse - Read the following source from Peng Dehuai and answer the following questions:
1. According to Peng Dehuai, what are the main reasons for the failure of the GLF?
2. What do you think Peng Dehuai means by the ‘left mistakes’? What could these be?
3. Who do you think Peng is blaming for the failure of the GLF?
4. Why do you think Mao would take exception to the points that Peng Dehuai has raised?
Discuss - What do you consider to be the most important reasons for the failure of the Great Leap Forward?
Consider - In what ways did the failure of the GLF reveal serious weaknesses in the communist regime?