Death Toll: 25 million

Mao Zedong leader of the Communist Party of China. decided China must produce lots of steel and iron to become rich Millions of peasant farmers were told to stop farming plots and start producing iron and steel

Why did 25 million Chinese people die between ?

Great granaries were closed down as all the workers left to make steel

Mao planned to use special seeds and different farming ideas to make enough food to feed the nation using a third of the land.

These special seeds were from the Ukraine. China has very different soils to the Ukraine The different farming ideas were to dig plant the seeds 1-2 metres below the ground. The seeds never germinated.

In June inches (760mm) of rain fell in Hong Kong in 5 days. This flooded the area and crops. In July 1959 the Yellow River flooded in East China. It killed 2 million people

In 1960 only 60% of normal yearly rainfall fell

Mao wanted the special seeds and different farming techniques to work. People were scared of Mao and wanted to be seen as successful so they lied about results.

Crops grown were unevenly distributed around China. Mao insisted that grain was sent to the urban areas where iron and steel were being produced. Many people in the countryside did not have enough food left.

China had to buy grain from Canada for $60 million “I went to one village and saw 100 dead bodies, then another village and saw another 100. People said the dogs were eating the bodies. Not true, I said. The dogs had long ago been eaten by the people.”

“The trees had no bark left on them. People had begun to eat bark and soil because they had nothing else. This made them constipated. Some had to spoon faeces out of their backsides”. Chinese Farmer

How did the GLF impact different people? Steel worker Mao Farmer who is now a steel worker Farmer who is having to use new methods Provincial leader Old people in the countryside Read through your information and decide how your character was impacted – would your character survive?

How was each character impacted? Steel worker Mao Farmer who is now a steel worker Farmer who is having to use new methods Provincial leader Old people in the countryside Move into different groups, write down how each character was impacted.

Who do you think suffered the most? Steel worker Mao Farmer who is now a steel worker Farmer who is having to use new methods Provincial leader Old people in the countryside

2. School Child I have been a steelworker for 12 years. Mao has decided he wants more steel and iron being produced. There used to be 300 workers here, now there is 600. We have to live on site because of the hours we work. My wife lives with me and sews/washes workers uniforms in the day. We are under a lot of pressure. I didn’t know anything had changed with the food, we get given our food every week as part of our wages. Increased wage. More jobs. Longer hours. More pressure. 2. Mao If we can produce more iron and steel we will earn lots of money and become a great world power. Other countries are more developed then we are, we need to catch up and improve. We currently waste too many people and resources on producing crops. I have found farming methods from the Ukraine which we can use to make enough grain to feed the whole country whilst everyone else makes iron and steel. I will set targets for production and I expect them to be met. New ideas, more money, more power. Imagine if this doesn’t work. 1. Steelworker

2. School Child 4. Farmer using new methods 3. Farmer who is now a steelworker I have been a farmer for 15 years. Mao has decided that we must not farm, we must make steel. I have left my family in the countryside and moved to this steelworks. We all live on site- it is good because we are given food. It is hard work though, I have never tried to make steel and it is all new to me. My wife is left in the countryside trying to farm enough food for herself, her parents and our baby. It is tough times. Praise for helping the country. Having to learn new skills. Family left in country. I farm the way my father taught me, he was taught by my grandfather, he was taught by my great-grandfather. Mao has said we must use knew ways. They will not work with the soil. The soil is too dry for the seeds. We cannot tell Mao the methods will not work because he will punish us and say we are not helping the country. One farmer told his leader that the methods were rubbish, he was never seen again. I am trying to make the seeds grow, we have lots of new equipment but nothing is working. Money to buy new equipment. Worry that crops are not growing.

2. School Child6. Old people 5. Provincial Leader Mao has changed the way my province works. In my province there was two factories producing steel, now there are eight. Farmers have had to move to work at these plants and they have left their families in the countryside. We are only allowed to use the new farming methods because they should grow lots more crops for less work. We have to reach a very high target. If I don’t tell Mao I have reached this target I could be arrested for not working hard enough. I am scared. If targets are met then praise is given. Pressure to produce food and iron. I have lived in the countryside all my life. We have farmed food and exchanged it for goods with our neighbours, normally my son would help but now he has moved to help produce iron. Any food our village makes is being sent to the steelworks. We have nothing left. Nothing to eat. One family killed and ate their dog. I don’t know what to do, how to survive.. No food left. No people left to help farm.

How did the Great Leap Forward impact these people? SteelworkerMaoFarmer who is now a steelworker Farmer using new methods Provincial Leader Old People How have they been impacted? Rank- who suffers most? (1=most) Complete the table to state how each person was impacted by the Great Leap Forward. Listen to each other and share your own expert knowledge!