Question

`Great Leap Forward' (GLF) campaign in China was initiated in 1958 to:

• A. Modernize agriculture
• B. Industrialize the country on a massive scale
• C. Promote foreign trade
• D. Control population

Hint:

Chinese Economic History Timeline: Great Leap Forward (1958) $\rightarrow$ Cultural Revolution (1966) $\rightarrow$ Open Door Policy/Market Reforms under Deng Xiaoping (1978).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Great Leap Forward (GLF) was a social and economic campaign by the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The campaign was launched by Mao Zedong in 1958.
Its primary objective was to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern industrial society.
One of the unique features was the encouragement for people to set up "backyard furnaces" to produce steel in their own homes.
It also introduced the "Commune system" in agriculture, where land was owned and worked collectively.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The GLF was initiated to achieve industrialization on a massive scale.