The Great Leap Forward: Steel Production in China

This lecture discusses the Great Leap Forward, a campaign initiated by Mao to double steel production in China within a year. The instructor describes how the Chinese government mobilized the energy and idealism of the peasants, leading to the construction of small furnaces in villages and backyards. People collected scrap metal, melting down items like doorknobs and tools to contribute to steel production. The lecture highlights personal stories, such as a woman who ingeniously reinforced her furnace with her own hair. The competitive spirit among villagers is illustrated through anecdotes of teams striving to outproduce one another. The lecture also addresses the environmental impact of the campaign, noting that forests were decimated to fuel the furnaces operating around the clock. As the campaign progressed, even those in professional fields began to neglect their normal jobs to participate in this national effort, reflecting the widespread commitment to the initiative despite its eventual failures.