In this episode we'll be discussing the Third Front, a covert industrialisation campaign that took place between 1964 and 1972 in China's remote, mountainous interior. This little-discussed campaign actually formed a crucial part of China's Cold War policy strategy, and despite its clandestine nature cost billions of yuan in resource and personnel allocation, as well as for construction and transportation. The Third Front was part of China's preparations for war with either the US, the Soviet Union, or their allies in the region, especially after the US joined the Vietnam War in mid-1964. Major industrial and military complexes were built in southwest, central-west, and northwestern provinces, which were also interconnected by new railway lines and powered by grand hydro-electric dams.

In the end, the Third Front fizzled out, especially after the relationship between China and the US improved, Minister of Defence Lin Biao passed away, and particularly after the death of Mao Zedong. Many of the projects remained uncompleted, with others suffering from the pains of rushed construction, rendering them useless in the long-run. Despite its short run however, the Third Front did have have a major impact on China's economics and politics during the 60s and 70s, and deserves our attention as an important factor in China's Cold War policy formation. It also gives us another lens through which to view Chinese history, one which relies less on social history and a Maoist lens, and takes into consideration external factors that caused major shifts in the sentiments of the CCP leadership even during major domestic events such as the Cultural Revolution.

Don't forget to check out "Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China" by Covell Meyskens, which you can purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maos-Third-Front-Militarization-China/dp/1108489559 

NB: About 4 minutes in I accidentally say Gansu twice - I meant to say Guizhou the first time and Gansu the second!

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In this episode we discuss the Socialist Education Movement (SEM), a campaign conducted in the Chinese countryside from 1962-1966 in order to restore socialist values and purge pernicious 'capitalist tendencies' that had reemerged after the Great Leap Forward. The period 1962 to 1965 generally saw Mao attempt to regain control over the cultural and ideological spheres in both the countryside and the cities, but ultimately these attempts failed to make a lasting impact. They were likely instrumental in encouraging Mao to stop relying on the Party cadres and intellectuals to continue as the vanguard of the revolution, and instead launch the Cultural Revolution to reinvigorate socialism in China and boost the prestige of his own cult of personality.

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Now that we understand the Great Leap Forward, we turn to the period just after the leap to see how China began to recover from economic and political disaster.

Two factions emerged in the party's leadership - a moderate group who wanted to allow some market forces to help boost the economy and reduce inflation, and the leftists who still believed in Mao's vision. Instead of ousting Mao when they could, the leadership decided to let the chairman keep his position, while taking all economic powers away from him. Their failure to denounce his role in the Great Leap Forward, however, left him ample space to stage a comeback, which eventually led to the launch of the Cultural Revolution in 1966.

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This is the second of two parts covering the events that led to the breakdown in relations between China and the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1964. 

In this episode we discuss the heating up of tensions, the publication of polemics, and the personal disagreements that served to worsen the situation. We talk about how external events such as the Cuban missile crisis were used by Mao to further his own political agenda, both at home and abroad, while also destabalising Krushchev's position. Finally, we outline the major causes of the downfall of Sino-Soviet relations, which could not be saved even with the introduction of a new government in the Soviet Union.

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This is the first of two parts covering the events that led to the breakdown in relations between China and the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1964. 

This episode covers the years 1958 and 1959, and discusses the major ideological differences between the two nations which led to them disagreeing on how to handle international relations with Taiwan, the US, and India. We also see how China's domestic policies served as a point of contention with the post-Stalin Soviet leadership, who saw Mao's cult of personality and the setting up of communes as a return to the horrors of the 1930s.

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A review of the 50 years of Chinese history we've covered on this podcast.

Find the questions and answers on the Sinobabble website

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**Hi guys,

I'm so sorry the audio is so terrible for this episode! I think my mic wasn't plugged in properly and the programme defaulted to my computer mic which is obviously terrible. I wasn't able to rerecord as I had gone away for the weekend and wanted to get the episode out on time. If it's completely unlistenable let me know and I will rerecord for your pleasure.**

Taking a break from our survey of Chinese history, this episode is a review of The Firemaker by Scottish screenwriter and author Peter May. This is the first book in a series of 6 novels and 1 novella set in China, following the story of detective Li Yan and American pathologist Margaret Campbell as they solve a series of interrelated murders.

https://maypeter.com/2016/05/21/the-china-thrillers-new-editions/ 

In this review I look at the story, writing, and historical and cultural accuracy to help you decide whether or not you would like to read it yourself.

If you have any other book recommendations for me, let me know!

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This is part 4 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.

In this episode we explore the main academic debates surrounding the Great Leap Forward: what were the major causes of the famine, how many people died as a result of the famine, and how responsible was Mao for the famine? Questions are thoroughly explored but left open ended for the listener to discover and decide for themselves where the truth may lie.

Check out my recent appearance on The History Voyager: Podbean | Google

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This is part 3 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.

In this episode we discuss the Great Famine, which lasted between 1958 and 1962. The famine mainly affected rural areas, and many of the stories and anecdotes we have are from some of the worst affected regions. We also discuss how the famine affected food supplies in the cities, and how the central government went about undoing the worst effects of the Great Leap Forward from 1960 onward.

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**There is an audio glitch from around 15:30-15:40 that I couldn't fix in the edit! It's only brief and minor, but sorry nonetheless!**

This is part 2 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 episode looks at how the Great Leap policies were implemented in villages and cities, and what effects they had on the lives of different sectors of society. We look at how life changd for men and women, rich and poor, urban and rural, and young and old.

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