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With support from peasats and a weak opposition party (the Nationalist Party), Mao Zedong and his Communist Party gained control ovef China.
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After watching the United States help capitalist South Korea during the Korean War, Mao sent thousands of Chinese soldiers to support Communist North Korea.
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China began a series of extreme policies to develop its economy through industrialization and taking government control over Chinese businesses.
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Mao encouraged people to make suggestions, come up with solutions, and criticize the Chinese government. Many of the people who voiced their opinions were later persecuted as dissidents (someone who rebels) against Mao's government.
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From 1958-1960, Mao led his Great Leap Forward campaign. He encouraged people to produce extreme amounts of industrial and agricultural products. He also collectivized farms (brought thousands of acres of farmland together) to make agriculture more efficient.
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Partly ecause people had few incentives to work in a Communist system and partly because of bad weather conditions, there were severe food shortages during the Great Leap Forward. Up to 55 million people starved to death.
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Mao launched a program to get rid of China's middle class tendencies completely. He encouraged young Chinese to become Red Gaurds and attack anyone they considered a class enemy. Skilled workers were sent to do manal labor on farms as a way of re-educating themselves.
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