Part 5/9:
Upon assuming power, Mao embarked on a mission to rapidly transform China into a communist state. His policies, however, often had disastrous consequences. The Great Leap Forward, initiated in 1958, aimed to modernize China’s economy through collectivization and rapid industrialization. Instead, this campaign culminated in one of the largest famines in recorded history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 55 million people.
Mao's destructive policies did not end with the Great Leap Forward. Between 1966 and 1976, the Cultural Revolution aimed to purge remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. This decade-long upheaval was characterized by mass persecution, the dismantling of cultural heritage, and the establishment of a severe cult of personality around Mao.