a Why was the Great Leap Forward program a failure"

The Great Leap Forward programme was introduced in 1958 when Mao saw that a new middle class of "experts" growing up, calling the shots in high places of society. He also wanted to increase the country's production and catalyse industrialisation. Seeing an urgent need to lead China back to "true" Communism, he announced the "Great Leap Forward."

The Great Leap Forward programme is said to be an economic failure, as it did not meet its initial aims. The changes that were to be made were too sudden and the lack of expert knowledge was too great. There was poor weather from 1959-1961, causing a massive famine, which saw a total of 25 million deaths. Much of the iron and steel produced from "backyard" blast furnaces were of inferior quality and was of no use. Also, Russia withdrew all help in...