Mao's Great Leap Forward was an economic and social campaign initiated by Mao Zedong in 1958 in an attempt to rapidly transform China into an industrial state. It aimed to bypass the slow process of industrialization and promote agricultural collectivization. However, the campaign lacked careful planning, leading to disastrous consequences such as widespread famine and economic decline due to disastrous agricultural policies, forced labor, and the diversion of resources from agriculture to industry. The failure of the Great Leap Forward resulted in the death of millions of Chinese citizens and a setback for China's economy and society.
