The first Five-Year Plan (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Notes

The first Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)

Introduction

In the early 1950s, Chinese communist leaders recognised that China needed to undergo rapid industrial development. After debating different approaches and timelines, Mao Zedong decided in 1953 that it was time to take decisive action. This marked the beginning of China's first Five-Year Plan, which would run from 1953 to 1957 and fundamentally transform the country's economic structure.

Reasons for implementing the first Five-Year Plan

The Chinese Communist Party had three main motivations for launching this ambitious industrialisation programme in 1953:

Soviet industrial success as inspiration The remarkable achievements of Soviet five-year plans provided a compelling model for China to follow. Over just 20 years, Soviet planning had successfully transformed a largely agricultural peasant society into a major industrial power. This demonstration of rapid industrialisation convinced Chinese leaders that similar methods could work for China.

Korean War military concerns The Korean War (1950-1953) highlighted China's military vulnerabilities and made leaders deeply concerned about potential foreign invasion. China's military forces needed to become much stronger, which required the development of modern heavy industry capable of producing advanced weapons and military equipment.

Ideological commitment to industrialization Both Maoism and Marxism taught that socialism and eventually communism could only be achieved through a fully industrialised society. Chinese leaders believed that without complete industrial development, their revolutionary goals would remain impossible to accomplish.

Nature of the planned economy

The first Five-Year Plan established a comprehensive planned economy that differed dramatically from China's previous economic approach. This new system had several key characteristics that would define Chinese economic policy throughout the 1950s.

State control over industrial production The government took direct control of industries so it could determine what they produced rather than leaving these decisions to market forces. Mao believed this centralised approach meant China's limited resources could be used most efficiently, avoiding the waste and duplication that might occur under private ownership.

Transformation into a planned economy Rather than allowing industries to produce whatever they thought would generate the most profit, the government created detailed plans specifying what each industry needed to produce and set specific targets for them to meet. This represented a fundamental shift from market-driven to state-directed economic development.

Heavy industry prioritization The state concentrated its investment heavily on industry, particularly focusing on heavy industries like iron, steel, and coal production. An impressive 90 percent of all state investment during this period went into these heavy industrial sectors, demonstrating the government's commitment to rapid industrial expansion.

Large-scale factory construction The plan called for building massive new industrial facilities because planners believed that large-scale factories would operate most efficiently and produce goods at the lowest cost. This emphasis on size and scale became a defining feature of Chinese industrial development.

Industrial targets and production goals

The first Five-Year Plan set extraordinarily ambitious targets for China's key industrial sectors, representing massive increases over 1952 production levels.

Coal was essential for powering China's expanding industrial base and providing energy for steel production. The dramatic oil production increase was crucial for China's industrial machinery and transportation needs, while steel production targets reflected the critical importance of steel for heavy industry, construction, and military applications. Electricity generation expansion would provide the power necessary to run China's expanding industrial facilities.

Infrastructure development projects

Beyond industrial production, the first Five-Year Plan included major infrastructure improvements designed to connect different regions of China and support economic development.

The Wuhan bridge project One of the plan's most significant infrastructure achievements was the construction of a bridge across the Yangtze River at Wuhan. In 1953, there was no bridge spanning the Yangtze River, which created a major obstacle to China's development since everything had to be transported across the river by ferry. This bridge project was essential for connecting northern and southern China and facilitating the movement of goods and people across this natural barrier.

Transportation network expansion The Communist Party also planned major improvements to China's roads, railways, bridges, and ports. These infrastructure developments were necessary to support the massive industrial expansion and ensure that raw materials could reach factories and finished products could reach markets.

Soviet economic aid and technical support

China's first Five-Year Plan relied heavily on assistance from the Soviet Union, formalised through the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance signed by Mao and Stalin in February 1950.

Timeline of key events

• 1950: Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance signed between China and USSR
• 1950-1953: Korean War influences Chinese military and industrial priorities
• 1953: First Five-Year Plan officially begins
• 1953: No bridge exists across the Yangtze River, hampering north-south transportation
• 1957: First Five-Year Plan officially concludes
• 1957: Less than half of planned 156 factories completed