Home › Countries › Conflicts

A Great Leap Forward - Into a Moral 'Grey Zone'

Share

In New York on Oct. 13, 2010, historian Frank Dikötter recounts the most upsetting surprise he found in researching China's famine. (1 min., 35 sec.)
watch video

In New York on Oct. 13, 2010, historian Frank Dikötter recounts the most upsetting surprise he found in researching China's famine. (1 min., 35 sec.)

NEW YORK, October 13, 2010 - Frank Dikötter, author of Mao’s Great Famine: The History of China’s Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-1962, on Wednesday spoke to an audience at Asia Society's New York headquarters about his research into the widespread famine that followed the Great Leap Forward, and the social toll it had on Chinese peasants. 

Dikötter told Asia Society’s Arthur Ross Fellow, Susan Jakes, that when people are faced with starvation, the rule of survival dominates. For a person to survive, they have to bend the rules and rely on their wits, many times resorting to trickery or theft. He added, “I would see China from 1958 to 1962 as one giant [moral] grey zone.”

During the Great Leap Forward, farmers, working on newly collectivized plots, faced intense pressure to fulfill production quotas. Often these quotas disregarded local limitations, and many collectives were left with insufficient food reserves. Deprivation, combined with a lack of individual investment in the collective farms, bred a culture of violence, Dikötter explained. “Collectivization means collective violence," he said. "When you strip every incentive to work from the people, you have to beat them to get to do things.”

Dikötter mentioned a particularly brutal record of violence he uncovered when researching a village in Anhui province. He said while he expected to read about starvation, he was surprised to read reports of beatings and torture. 

Dikötter's work is the product of unprecedented access to classified Communist Party archives. Previously closed, the documents were made available during a period of openness in China in the years prior to the Beijing Olympics. 

Reported by Elizabeth Reynolds 

SHOP Asiastore: 

Mao’s Great Famine: The History of China’s Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-1962

Jim Andrews | 07:07:11 06:51pm

When I click on "Watch the Complete Program," the new page does not have the video. I hope that you will restore the video. Thanks!

John Martin Moses | 01:16:11 06:53am
I was sorry to read your comments but you learned the truth. It had been suspected by many but no one in little old Brownsville, Texas was able to do the research back in 1959. Good for you to have confirmed what some of us had suspected. I seem to remember my mother felt it in her bones as she would comment on the starving millions throughout the world. Without the freedoms we have enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy. No nation in the world will reach as far as we have done in the Free World! Look at poor Russia! But then again look at Germany - WOW! I won't be surprised to see her gain dominance over Europe.

Post new comment

Your comments are welcome, please adhere to our guidelines

Be respectful. Personal attacks will not be tolerated; nor will profane, abusive or threatening posts.

Keep it short (150 words or less), Stay on topic.

Asia Society reserves the right to moderate all comments and remove or edit for guideline violations. Thank you.

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Type the characters you see in this picture. (verify using audio)
Type the characters you see in the picture above; if you can't read them, submit the form and a new image will be generated. Not case sensitive.