3.1

• What law did Mao introduce in 1950?

  Agrarian Reform Law
• What was the role of CCP workers in the implementation of the Agrarian Reform Law?

  They enforced the law by taking land from landlords and distributing it among village peasants.
• What were the 'People’s Courts' used for during the Agrarian Reform?

  They were used to put landlords on trial for charging high rents or mistreating tenants.
• What happened to many landlords during the trials in the 'People’s Courts'?

  Many landlords were imprisoned or executed.
• How many landlords were estimated to have been executed during the Agrarian Reform?

  Between 700,000 and 3 million landlords were executed.
• What was the immediate effect of land reform on productivity?

  It decreased productivity in the short term.
• What was Mao's plan to raise productivity after land reform?

  He planned to collectivise farming.
• What was the reaction of peasants to the collectivisation of farming?

  It angered peasants who had just won their own land.
• What were Mutual Aid Teams introduced by Mao?


  They were groups where peasants worked on each other's land to increase productivity.
• By the end of 1952, what percentage of peasants belonged to Mutual Aid Teams?

  40% of peasants belonged to Mutual Aid Teams.
• What was the next stage after Mutual Aid Teams in Mao's agricultural policy?

  The establishment of Agricultural Producers' Cooperatives (APCs) in 1953.
• How many mutual aid teams made up an Agricultural Producers' Cooperative (APC)?

  1. 5 mutual aid teams.
• What was the structure of an APC?

  An APC consisted of 30-50 households with their animals and equipment.
• What was the impact of APCs on machinery and production?

  APCs created a demand for machinery which increased production and boosted industry.
• What was the reaction of richer peasants to the establishment of APCs?

  Richer peasants resisted by killing their animals and burning their crops.
• What did Mao do in response to the violent peasant resistance against APCs?

  He briefly halted the APCs but then decided to continue with collectivisation.
• What were communes in the context of Mao's agricultural policies?

  Communes were farms made up of 2,000-3,000 households with no private ownership.
• By the end of 1958, what percentage of peasants had been placed in communes?

  90% of peasants had been placed in communes.
• What was one of the consequences of collectivisation in 1958?

  There was a famine that caused 50 million deaths in China.
• What extreme measures did people take during the famine?

  Parents sold their children and husbands sold their wives to buy food; some resorted to cannibalism.
• What were the main causes of the famine in 1958?

  1. Peasants had no incentive to produce more food due to lack of profit.
  2. The 'Four Pests Campaign' led to more pests damaging crops.
  3. New farming methods encouraged by Mao did not increase production.
  4. Communist officials lied about production levels.
  5. Natural disasters: drought in the north and flooding in the south.