The government implemented the First Five-Year Plan to improve industrial development and the economy. The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution were disastrous political campaigns led by Mao Zedong. The promotion of backyard furnaces during the Great Leap Forward is an example of propaganda that worsened the famine.
The first Five-Year Plan in China was implemented from 1953 to 1957. It aimed to increase industrial development and improve the country's economy. The Great Leap Forward, which took place from 1958 to 1961, was a disastrous plan that aimed to surpass the United Kingdom in industrial capacity but resulted in widespread famine and the death of millions of people.
The Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976, was a political campaign led by Mao Zedong to maintain his control over the Communist Party and eliminate perceived threats.
An example of propaganda during the Great Leap Forward period was the promotion of the concept of backyard furnaces. The government encouraged citizens to smelt steel in their own backyards as a symbol of self-sufficiency and industrial progress.
Unfortunately, this initiative led to the diversion of agricultural resources, decreased food production, and further contributed to the famine.