: Peasants were herded into massive people's communes where their land, tools, and livelihoods were confiscated.
: Launched by Mao Zedong to "walk on two legs" by simultaneously modernizing industry and agriculture. Mao's Great Famine
: A public health initiative that targeted sparrows, among other "pests". The mass killing of sparrows caused a locust population explosion that decimated grain crops. : Peasants were herded into massive people's communes
(1958–1962) remains the deadliest man-made disaster in human history, claiming an estimated 15 to 45 million lives. This catastrophic period was the direct result of the Great Leap Forward , an ambitious social and economic campaign intended to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into an industrial communist superpower. Key Drivers of the Catastrophe Mao's Great Famine