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Ovaherero Genocide Foundation

1958 China

The Great Leap Forward/ Great Chinese famine

From 1958-1962 millions of Chinese died from famine under Mao Zedong’s regime. It is known as the Great Leap Forward or the Great Chinese Famine. The general consensus of deaths is about 40 million people. Although there was also a drought and poor weather such as flooding, severe heat, typhoons, etc., the impact of it is debated. Many historians agree that the deaths were from failed government policies and a man-made famine. Mao increased the quotas for agricultural production, imposed collectivization, and took land from the peasants. Peopled starved to death or died from malnutrition, and suicide was common as well. Some people resorted to cannibalism to survive. The Chinese government hid the extent of the famine and denied the genocide.