How did Mao consolidate his power using collectivisation?

Collectivisation and aims Grouping together small, privately owned farms into much larger collective farms Aims: Increase productivity in order to feed China's growing population A more communist way of agriculture Consolidate his control over the peasants Stablise the economic situation

Process Mutual aid teams 1951 Grouping together 10 peasant households Share labour, tools, animals Second stage cooperatives 1952-3 30-50 households - pool land and labour Productivity: released more land for cultivation, cut down travelling time, share cost of new machinery Peasants retained private ownership of land and profits were shared between the households Higher stage cooperatives 1953-5 200-300 households - larger than a single village Administrators and party officials needed to control them Peasants given wages for their labour and could only keep 5% of land

Successes & Failures Successes: Governmental control was strengthened in rural areas The number of families fed were significantly higher during the years of collectivisation than in the 50's Ideology - more Communist method of farming During 1958 their was a good harvest due to good weather conditions 200 million ton of crop produce Central committee gave inflated figures of 260 million tons

Failures Caused dissension among the leading ranks of the party regarding the pace of change  Led to Mao's belief in coerced success and that the will of the people was strong enough to overcome material needs Had inevitable catastrophic effects Many peasants could not adapt to the methods Peasants were not encouraged to produce beyond their own needs Agricultural production was did not increase significantly During the Fiver Year Plan from 1953-7 Agricultural production increase by 3.8% Grain production increased by 1% There were reports of: Peasants resorting to eating tree barks and abandoning their children due to a shortage of food Officials abusing their power and oppressing the peasants

Failures continued Advanced agricultural equipment ruined by inexperienced peasants Emphasis was on quantity not on quality State planners were ignorant of basic procedures and caused bureaucratic delays Delayed production, distribution and export Competition for resources between industries and between State and private enterprises

How Mao use this to consolidate power Increased control over peasants and their land Mao was able to keep the 'equal'  status between peasants Some peasants were getting more wealthy, and there was an unequal income class between the peasants 'Spontaneous Capitalism' reappeared in 1953 Peasants began to hire labour, lend money and buy and sell land Wealthier peasants were forced to join the Agricultural Producers' Cooperative (APC) They no longer received the most money Mao kept control and increased the pace once again Developed into more households of 200 to 300 to become a collective group Ideology: was able to keep the communist idea and preventing the growth of capitalism