China's "Great Leap Forward"

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The "Great Leap Forward" was a campaign initiated by Mao Zedong in 1958 to transform China into a modern industrialized nation. However, the campaign led to disastrous consequences, including a major famine that caused millions of deaths. One of the key policies implemented during the campaign was the "backyard iron and steel furnaces" program, which required peasants to melt down their farm tools to create steel. This led to a severe shortage of essential farming equipment, which contributed to the famine. The "Great Leap Forward" occurred before the "Cultural Revolution" and did not directly result in the economic growth seen in China today.