1. How did Mao consolidate his power using collectivisation?

2. 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

3. Process Mutual aid teams 1951 Grouping together 10 peasant households
Share labour, tools, animals
Second stage cooperatives
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
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

4. 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

5. 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
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

6. 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

7. 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