Mao and the Great Leap Forward

  1. What was Mao trying to achieve in launching (a) the Great Leap Forward and then (b) the
    Cultural Revolution? What went wrong with each initiative, and why? What were their lasting
    legacies?
  2. Please briefly describe the process of Deng’s rise to power after Mao’s death, focusing on
    the collapse of the Gang of Four and Deng’s efforts to sideline Hua Guofeng. Please also explain
    why Deng decided to handle his disagreements with Hua in a rather civilized manner.
  3. What were the key policy changes put in place under the “reform and opening” banner
    which eventually led to big increases in aggregate and per capita GDP? What then happened in
    1992 and later in 2001 to cause foreign direct investment and exports to soar, raising the rates
    of growth even higher?
  4. What, exactly, did Deng Xiaoping mean when he began insisting in 1979 that China should
    “seize with both hands and hold tight?” What have been the consequences of this approach for
    China’s developmental trajectory – both the economic development trajectory and the political
    development trajectory? What was/is the role of the Patriotic Education Campaign in the “seize
    with both hands and hold tight” strategy?
  5. Please trace the evolution of China-U.S. relationsfrom 1950 to approximately 2005. What
    were the key turning points in the relationship and what explains why things changed at those
    turning points?