The Great Leap Forward (comparative context)

The Great Leap Forward was a Chinese campaign from 1958 to 1962 aimed at rapidly transforming China from an agrarian society into a socialist industrial superpower. Under Mao Zedong, the government encouraged collective farming and established backyard steel furnaces to increase production. However, poor planning and unrealistic goals led to widespread famine, resulting in millions of deaths. Compared to other historical examples of ambitious state-led initiatives, such as the Soviet Union's Five-Year Plans, the Great Leap Forward highlights the risks of rapid industrialization without adequate infrastructure, resources, or consideration for human factors.