The Great Famine (jan 4, 1958 – sep 20, 1962)

Description:

Forced collectivisation was a disaster. Peasants reacted by reducing production.

Reasons for the Great Famine:

- No incentives: peasants no longer had any reason to produce more food than would meet their immediate needs, as they could not sell extra produce for a profit.

- Four Pests Campaign: Mao launched a campaign to get rid of sparrows, flies, mosquitoes and rats because they were pests that ate the crops and grain. However, without any birds, caterpillars thrived and ate even more plants.

- Farming techniques: Mao believed the poor scientific claims of Soviet Scientists, and people who used traditional farming techniques were denounce as enemies of the state. One scientist believed he could change weeds into 'super crops.'

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