Part 6/9:
After securing victory in the civil war and establishing the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Mao's policies began to take a catastrophic turn. The Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) aimed to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into an industrialized nation. Despite initial successes, Mao's failure to heed the warnings of agricultural decline resulted in one of the largest famines in history, claiming an estimated 20 to 55 million lives.
Such policies illustrate the tensions between Mao’s ambitious visions and the reality of governance. The push for rapid industrialization and collectivization alienated traditional agricultural practices, leading to widespread devastation and hunger.