History & Area Studies / Chinese History / Contemporary China (1949-present)

Delves into the political, economic, and social upheavals of the Great Leap |文化大革命的起源大跃进时代大跃进如何引爆文革

The Origins of the Cultural Revolution, Vol. 2: The Great Leap Forward 1958-1960

Roderick MacFarquhar

The Origins of the Cultural Revolution: The Great Leap Forward 1958-1960 v2 (Roderick MacFarquhar) This book, Volume II of Roderick MacFarquhar's The Origins of the Cultural Revolution, delves into the political, economic, and social upheavals of the Great Leap Forward. Through meticulous historical research, the author analyzes the disagreements between Mao Zedong and the top leadership of the Party regarding national development strategy, particularly the heated debates on core issues such as the People's Commune, steel production targets, and the professionalization of the army. The book reveals the deepening internal power struggles within the core leadership through Peng Dehuai's challenge at the Lushan Conference and Liu Shaoqi's political role and personal style. Ultimately, this monumental work elucidates how policy mistakes and political frictions during this period undermined the unity of the leadership, thus laying a profound foundation for the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution.