As the leader of China, Mao initiated the [[Great Leap Forward]], an economic plan intended to rapidly industrialize China's then largely rural economy. This led to an unprecedented famine.
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As the leader of China, Mao initiated the [[Great Leap Forward]], an economic plan intended to rapidly industrialize China's then largely rural economy. This led to an unprecedented famine. One cause was his 'Four Pests' campaign, which listed [[rats]], [[flies]], [[mosquitoes]], and [[sparrows]]. Because killing the sparrows encouraged insects to take out more crops, ornithologist Tso-hsin Cheng asked him to stop.