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Handshake

Part 1 - Rivalry, Mistrust & Accord (The Cold War)

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World Map

Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)

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Chart Increasing

Case Study 2: German & Italian Expansion 1933-40 (The Global War)

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Medal

Part 2 - Leaders & Nations (The Cold War)

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Radioactive

Part 3 - Cold War Crises (The Cold War)

<ul>
	<li>Started by Mao in January 1958.</li>
	<li>Main Idea: Super-charge China&#39;s agriculture and industry simultaneously.</li>
	<li>Why? Mao wanted to reduce dependence on Soviet aid &amp; believed that if the Chinese people worked hard enough, they wouldn&#39;t need heavy machinery imports.</li>
	<li>Mao&#39;s dream: Create a &#39;proletarian class&#39; (the working class Marx talked about).</li>
	<li>Focus Areas: Boosting grain and steel production.</li>
	<li>Fun Fact: Mao was so optimistic that he thought China could produce more steel than the UK in just 15 years!</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Grain: Increase production for food and exports.</li>
	<li>Steel: Everyone, including peasants, was to build mini steel furnaces in their backyards and melt anything metallic &ndash; even pots and pans! It&#39;s like trying to cook a gourmet meal over a campfire instead of a proper kitchen.</li>
	<li>Why didn&#39;t experts like this plan? The steel was super low-quality, but Mao wasn&#39;t listening.</li>
	<li>Other Techniques: Planting seeds super close (like believing two siblings won&#39;t fight if you put them in a tiny room) &amp; leaving parts of fields unused to boost soil health.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Remember when we tried DIY crafts, and they didn&#39;t look like the YouTube tutorial? Mao&#39;s DIY steel was a bigger disaster.</li>
	<li>Huge projects started during GLF lacked expert guidance and were mostly flops.</li>
	<li>Famine Alert 🚨: After Marshal Peng Dehuai critiqued the GLF at the Lushan Conference in 1959, Mao got defensive. The outcome? A major famine, and Mao&#39;s pride stopped him from admitting it to the world. Result? Millions died.</li>
	<li>Imagine refusing help when your house is on fire because you&#39;re embarrassed. That&#39;s what Mao did by exporting grain even as his people starved.</li>
	<li>Weather made things worse: China faced droughts and floods, but GLF policies magnified the damage.</li>
	<li>The ultimate &quot;undo&quot; button: By January 1961, China stopped the GLF, halted grain exports, and started importing grain.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Mao&#39;s Oops Moment: The GLF was such a disaster that Mao resigned as State Chairman in 1959 (though he kept another big title).</li>
	<li>A real-life horror story: Historian Frank Dik&ouml;tter found that about 45 million people died prematurely during the famine. That&#39;s like wiping out the entire population of Argentina!</li>
	<li>Soviet Tea Spill: The Soviets didn&#39;t hold back, criticizing the GLF as &quot;faulty&quot; and &quot;erroneous.&quot; Imagine a friend critiquing your dance moves &ndash; except this was on a global stage.</li>
	<li>Added Gossip: Rumors said Marshal Peng spilled the beans to the Soviets about the famine.</li>
	<li>Mao&#39;s Revenge: Infuriated by the Soviet shade, Mao decided to support any Communist country that wasn&#39;t team Moscow.</li>
</ul>

Remember: The Great Leap Forward was Mao&#39;s ambitious attempt to speed up China&#39;s growth. While its intent was progressive, its execution and consequences were disastrous. Like trying to speedrun a video game, but ending up losing all your lives.

The Shocking Truth About Mao's Great Leap Forward: Impact & Consequences

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Standard Level

History SL

Part 1 - Rivalry, Mistrust & Accord (The Cold War)

The Shocking Truth About Mao's Great Leap Forward: Impact & Consequences

Table of content

What's the Great Leap Forward? 🌱🏭

How was this supposed to work? 🔧🌾

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Part 1 - Rivalry, Mistrust & Accord (The Cold War)

The Shocking Truth About Mao's Great Leap Forward: Impact & Consequences

Table of content

What's the Great Leap Forward? 🌱🏭

How was this supposed to work? 🔧🌾

Unlock the Full Content!