This is part 1 in a 4 part series on the Great Leap Forward. This series will cover the whys and hows of China's disastrous Second Five-Year Plan, showing how the Leap went from an idea, to a reality, to a famine, all within the period of 3 years.

This first episode looks at how the decision was made to launch the Great Leap. Was it Mao alone who concocted the idea? Who supported him? Was there no one who stood up against him when they saw that things were not going according to plan? This week reveal the heroes and the cowards of China's senior politicians during the late 1950s, drawing a line between those looking to survive and those who truly wanted to do the right thing for the nation they had fought hard to win over.

Support the show

Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442

Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/

Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod