Chapter
Mao's Great Leap Forward and the Faking of Crop Yields
17:03 - 39:20 (22:16)
During Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward, peasants in China were coerced into creating backyard furnaces and steel smelting factories to make the country an industrial powerhouse. The government reported fake crop yields to please Mao, but millions of farmers watched their crops die as a result.
Clips
The application of Lysenkoism theory in Chinese agriculture during the 1950s led to a devastating potato blight that was wrongly attributed to environmental factors, causing a significant decrease in potato production.
17:03 - 21:06 (04:02)
Summary
The application of Lysenkoism theory in Chinese agriculture during the 1950s led to a devastating potato blight that was wrongly attributed to environmental factors, causing a significant decrease in potato production. Communist botany during this period often involved grafting and cross-breeding various plant species, resulting in fanciful and scientifically impossible claims.
ChapterMao's Great Leap Forward and the Faking of Crop Yields
EpisodePart Two: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
PodcastBehind the Bastards
During Mao's Great Leap Forward, farmers in China were pressured to fake agricultural yields to please the Chairman and avoid punishment.
21:06 - 27:03 (05:56)
Summary
During Mao's Great Leap Forward, farmers in China were pressured to fake agricultural yields to please the Chairman and avoid punishment. This involved planting excessive seeds and even creating fake fields for Mao's visits.
ChapterMao's Great Leap Forward and the Faking of Crop Yields
EpisodePart Two: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
PodcastBehind the Bastards
This transcript highlights various agricultural policies under Mao's rule, including how farmers were ordered to plow for 45 straight days, explosives were used to dig deeper into the frozen soil, and the use of dangerous, makeshift fertilizers which caused infections in farmers.
27:03 - 30:00 (02:57)
Summary
This transcript highlights various agricultural policies under Mao's rule, including how farmers were ordered to plow for 45 straight days, explosives were used to dig deeper into the frozen soil, and the use of dangerous, makeshift fertilizers which caused infections in farmers.
ChapterMao's Great Leap Forward and the Faking of Crop Yields
EpisodePart Two: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
PodcastBehind the Bastards
The Great Leap Forward in China led to the starvation of more than 24 million people by the spring of 1959.
30:00 - 35:18 (05:18)
Summary
The Great Leap Forward in China led to the starvation of more than 24 million people by the spring of 1959. Mao was unable to admit the failures of his policies and continued to ship out food for his own ego, while citizens were urged to eat as much as possible.
ChapterMao's Great Leap Forward and the Faking of Crop Yields
EpisodePart Two: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
PodcastBehind the Bastards
Mao's Great Leap Forward caused a catastrophic famine in China due to bad agricultural practices and flaws in the system.
35:18 - 39:20 (04:01)
Summary
Mao's Great Leap Forward caused a catastrophic famine in China due to bad agricultural practices and flaws in the system. However, Mao refused to admit any error and instead blamed the people for not following the plan.