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Why was the Great Leap Forward significant?

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9 votes

Final answer:

The Great Leap Forward was a significant event in history due to its drastic impact on China's society and economy, leading to the Great Chinese Famine and tens of millions of deaths. It demonstrated the dangers of hasty industrialization and harsh central economic planning, and the failure of the initiative cast doubt on the effectiveness of such strategies.

Step-by-step explanation:

Significance of the Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward was a profound initiative by the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Zedong, aiming to transform China from a rural agrarian society into an industrialized powerhouse. Sadly, the ambitious plan led to severe consequences, including the Great Chinese Famine, which claimed the lives of an estimated 20 to 40 million people. The abandonment of agriculture for industrial aspirations and poor economic strategies, such as maintaining high grain exports amidst declining harvests and the forced collectivization of agriculture, resulted in widespread food scarcity. Furthermore, the failure of the campaign highlighted the potential drawbacks of central economic planning and led to international and national criticism, including from allies such as the Soviet Union and North Korea.

One tangible aspect of the failed initiative was the creation of backyard furnaces, which led to the production of poor-quality steel and substantial pollution. The overarching economic policies, such as artificial price controls, further exacerbated the famine by depressing farm production. As a result, the Great Leap Forward is often cited as a historical example of how rapid and forced economic transformation can lead to dire consequences.

User SuperNova
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14 votes

Answer:

It was significant because it was a disaster

Step-by-step explanation:

After Mao won the Chinese civil war, he knew he had to move from an agricultural based economy to an industrial one. And so he did this by signing the great leap forward which forced everyone to work 24/7 without food and would be introduced with harsh quotas if they didn't work. This saw the death of 40-80 million Chinese people (A lot of results say 15 mil, 55mil, and more, but that's the best result I could find about how many people died during the great leap forward).

User Rufflewind
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