With this investigation I seek to compare and evaluate the political, economic and social effects of Mao’s regime. The majority of this investigation will outline some of Mao’s great reforms such as the Agrarian reform, the Three and Five Antis Movements and the First Five Year Plan. The objectives of each plan will be discussed with emphasis on the political, economic and social effects. I will assess the results of each of the political, economic and social effects to see which had the greatest effect on the people of China. The main sources that will be used in reference are Mao TseTung and China, Mao’s China and After, and China’s Economy and the Maoist Strategy.

B. In 1951, Mao launched a campaign called the Three Antis Movement. The goal of this movement was “to oppose corruption, waste and bureacratism” (Fitzgerald 80). Mao was trying to eliminate all his political opponents and other “counterrevolutionaries” so that he would have only those intellectuals he wanted. The movement attacked capitalists, merchants, financiers and members of the CCP. L.P. Fitzgerald and Maurice Meisner both point out th

As Mao commenced the Agrarian Reforms he also activated the First Five Year Plan in 1952. With this, he sought to increase China’s industrial output to match that of the top powers in the world. The industrial progress of this program surpassed the expected 14% yearly increase with increases of 16 to 18% (Meisner pg. 113). Part of the success was due to Russian aid. The Russians helped install the model factories and personnel and trained Chinese workers for the various factory jobs. The Chinese became more effective in gaining the technological support and experience necessary for working the factories. More time was spent on heavy industry than consumer production. Maurice Meisner points out that a total of 11.2% of the industry went to consumer production while 88% went to the production of heavy industry (Meisner pg. 112). Along with economic/industrial planning came the political reorganization of the First Five Year Plan. Maurice Meisner and John Gurley both emphasize the formation of a centralized, bureaucratic government as an integral part of the First Five Year Plan (Gurley ppg. 235-236 Meisner ppg. 115-116). A State Planning Commission was formed which would direct industrial progress. The State Council was formed in 1954 and would become the main governing body of China. Mao successfully reorganized the Chinese government to insure that the quotas of the First Five Year Plan would be met. With this economic plan Mao was able to effectively turn a feudalistic society into a world power within the first decade of his rule.

Following the initiation of the Five Antis Campaign in 1952, Mao launched the Agrarian Reforms. His ultimate goal with the land reforms was to give the land to the peasants, establish communes and abolish the landlord class. With these reforms the gentry class had their land stripped from them. Mass trials were held where the landlords were falsely accused of heinous crimes. Many were sent to labor camps so that their minds could be reformed by work (Fitzgerald). Furthermore, Maurice Meisner points out that many of the landlords were banned from any political activity (Meisner ppg. 94-98). The land reforms gave more power to the peasants. John Gurley also points out that the land reforms redistributed wealth and national income. The farm business profits and the net taxes to the state were redirected to the middle and poor peasants (Gurley ppg. 240-241). In 1953, Mao convinced the people to form cooperatives where all the peasants would eat, live and work together to harvest the food. This plan was another component of the classless society as peasants were discouraged from venturing off on their own (China Since 1945).

C. China’s Economy and the Maoist Strategy was written by John G. Gurley and published in 1976. Gurley has written many articles and papers along with two books regarding economics. He was a professor of economics at Stanford University. Gurley takes the time to dictate China’s economic situation and how Mao tried to solve it. He goes into detail about the “five developments” that Mao initiated: the government organized itself so that it had different “organs” to deal with each aspect of industrializatio

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