Part 3/10:
The roots of the Great Leap Forward can be traced back to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 after the revolution led by the Communist Party. Faced with a nearly medieval society steeped in poverty and hardship, Mao's government aimed to eradicate endemic famines and reshape the population's mindset. Following his admiration for the Soviet model, Mao sought industrial assistance from the USSR, signing treaties that would entrench China’s reliance on Soviet resources and guidance.