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→Great Leap Forward
Throughout most of the [[Cold War]] era, the United States and its allies adopted a Two-China policy, referring to Mainland China as [[Red China]], and the allied Taiwanese government as [[Free China]]. The government of Taiwan held the permanent seat assigned to China on the United Nations Security Council from the founding of the United Nations Charter in 1945, until Red China's accession to the post in 1971. Since 1971, Red China, or the Peoples Republic of China, has insisted upon a One-China policy in all its diplomatic relations. The common reference to Mainland China as "China" proper in American academia and media, in accordance with PRC propaganda and its foreign policy stance, is a relatively late development of more recent decades.
Throughout most of the [[Cold War]] era, the United States and its allies adopted a Two-China policy, referring to Mainland China as [[Red China]], and the allied Taiwanese government as [[Free China]]. The government of Taiwan held the permanent seat assigned to China on the United Nations Security Council from the founding of the United Nations Charter in 1945, until Red China's accession to the post in 1971. Since 1971, Red China, or the Peoples Republic of China, has insisted upon a One-China policy in all its diplomatic relations. The common reference to Mainland China as "China" proper in American academia and media, in accordance with PRC propaganda and its foreign policy stance, is a relatively late development of more recent decades.
===Great Leap Forward===
The Great Leap Forward (1958–60) and the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) were the two worst periods of leftist domination in the history of China. Beginning in 1958, Mao imposed unrealistic targets on Chinese grain production to extract funds from agriculture for rapid industrial growth. [[Maoist]]s placed relentless pressure on Communist cadres for ruthless implementation of the Great Leap Forward. China's grain output in 1959-60 declined sharply from 1957 levels and rural per capita grain retention decreased dramatically. Throughout China, party cadres' mismanagement of agricultural production was responsible for the decline in grain output, and the Communist state's excessive requisition of grain caused food shortages for the peasants.<ref>Yixin Chen, "Cold War Competition and Food Production in China, 1957-1962," ''Agricultural History'' 2009 83(1): 51-78,</ref>
The Great Leap Forward (1958–60) and the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) were the two worst periods of leftist domination in the history of China. Deng Xiaoping claimed the death toll to be 16 million, while the lowest estimate is 8 million <ref>Mao: The Real Story by Alexander P. Pantsov with Steven I. Levine, pg. 472</ref>
Mao's grand strategy for Cold War competition inflicted a catastrophic agricultural failure in China and victimized tens of millions of Chinese peasants. After [[Nikita Khrushchev]] boasted in 1957 that the Soviet Union would soon surpassing the United States in key economic outputs, Mao decided to launch an even faster industrialization program that would push China past Britain in some production categories within 15 years. Beginning in 1958, Mao imposed unrealistic targets on Chinese grain production to extract funds from agriculture for rapid industrial growth. Maoists placed relentless pressure on Communist cadres for ruthless implementation of the Great Leap Forward. Contrary to Maoist plans, China's grain output in 1959-60 declined sharply from 1957 levels and rural per capita grain retention decreased dramatically. Throughout China, party cadres' mismanagement of agricultural production was responsible for the decline in grain output, and the Communist state's excessive requisition of grain caused food shortages for the peasants. But the key factor determining the famine's uneven impact on the peasantry in the provinces was the degree to which provincial leaders genuinely and energetically embraced Maoist programs.<ref>Yixin Chen, "Cold War Competition and Food Production in China, 1957-1962," ''Agricultural History'' 2009 83(1): 51-78,</ref>
Although the Great Leap Forward was much more disastrous in both human and economic terms, the Cultural Revolution receives the more negative assessment in China. This harsher review of the Cultural Revolution stems from the facts that it occurred more recently, was much longer in duration, and that many of its victims were cadres and intellectuals.<ref>William A. Joseph, "A Tragedy of Good Intentions: Post-mao Views of the Great Leap Forward." ''Modern China'' 1986 12(4): 419-457. Issn: 0097-7004 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/189257 in Jstor ]</ref> Mao said, {{quotebox|“What can Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] brag about? He only killed 460 [[Confucius|Confucian]] scholars, but we killed 46,000 intellectuals. There are people who accuse us of practicing dictatorship like Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and we admit to it all. It fits the reality. It is a pity that they did not give us enough credit, so we need to add to it.”<ref>http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-3</ref>}}
[[File:Li660912-1-b.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Self-criticism and public shaming is the core of Progressive rectification. The signs read, "Right-wing extremist."]]
[[File:Li660912-1-b.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Self-criticism and public shaming is the core of Progressive rectification. The signs read, "Right-wing extremist."]]
====Cultural Revolution====
====Cultural Revolution====
:{{See also|Cultural Marxism}}
:{{See also|Cultural Marxism}}