The Great Leap Forward was initiated by Mao Zedong and resulted in a catastrophic failure.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It improved the economy
• D. It was a cultural program

Answer: (A)

Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward was an effort to speed up China’s shift to socialism by mass mobilization—creating communes and pushing rapid industrialization, including backyard steel production. The decisive point is that this plan led to a massive human and economic catastrophe. Targets were unrealistic, resources were diverted from farming to industry, and local officials often inflated outputs, masking the true situation. The consequence was a devastating famine in the early 1960s and a severe decline in economic and social stability. Because it was Mao who initiated the campaign and because its outcomes were disastrously negative, the statement is true. It wasn’t a cultural program, nor did it improve the economy; its legacy is one of mismanagement and tragedy.