Figure 1.-- China at the turn-of-the 20th century was still a largely agricultitral, peastant so iety with the great bulk of the population living in the countryside. Agriculture continud to be extenly labor intensive. Much of the peasantry produced only a small suplus beyond persobal conumption, but given he huge number of Chimese peasats, the agricultural surplus was sizeable as long as natural disasters or wars did not intrvene. Food would prove to be central to the Chinese war effort against the Japanese. Million of Chinese peaants lived on a razor edge of survival, producing just enough to feed themselves. Thus any decline in production could have dire consequences for the Chinese people. Here we see a typical Chinese peasant farm in 1944. Notice the complete absence of mechninization. Photographer: Sergeant Marvin Lawrence who was a photographer attached to the ATC (Air Transport Command) and served in China, Burma, and India (CBI).

Chinese agriculture has serious limitations. Both topographic and climatic features pose serious limitations to agriculture in China. The area suitable for cultivation is limited. Large areas of the country is rugged an mountanous. TheGobi Dsert cover a large area of northwestern China. Percipitation is limited in large ares of northern China (Manchuria). One estimate suggests that only about 10 percent of the country's total land area is suitable for agriculture. A little more than half of that area is unirrigated. The other half includes approximately equal areas of paddy and irrigated fields. Critical to Chinese agriculture had been irrigation and water managment. This was a powerful force in incouraging state develipment. The quality of the soil in cultivated regions varies substantially from region to region. The agricultural revolution and the birth of civilization occurred first in the Middle East. This occured later in China, but entirely independently. The Yellow (Hueng He) River valley Civilization began in China (about 4000 BC). This would be basis for sucessve Chinese empires. A vast area populated by diverse ethnic groups became, gradually over time became a single culture centered on the Yellow River Valley--the Han Chinese. The Yellow stretches across China for more than 2,900 miles. It carries a rich yellow silt all the way from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean. The Yangtze River is even longer, stretching about 3,400 miles across central China. China's two major rivers merge together to create a vast food-producing area. While the last of the four great river valley civilizations to develop, China developed the most efficient agricultural economy. And until very modern times, agriculture was the most important economic sector which supported the great bulk of the population. This was why China was such a rich society and during the medieval area a more advaned and prosperous society than the West. Even so, environmental problems such as floods, drought, and erosion created serious threats. There was a major regional divide in China. Initially it was the north that was heavily populated. The Chinese in the densly populated north developed wheat farming. Those in the more lightly populated south developed an agriculture based on rice. Technological advances meant that Chinese agriculture was more advanced than European agriculture. Major technological imprvements were made both in ancient and medival times. Here China was aorld leader and some of the developments in China would have enormous consequnces in the west, such as the cast iron plow, but it would be centuries before the idea trabsited the Silk Road. (The primary goods carried over the Silk Road were light-weight, high valued itens.) No one carried a heavy iron plow west, but ideas did flow east and west. What did not occur ib Chin dspite ll its riches and technological advances was modernity--the idea of freedom, capitalism, democracy, science, and industrialization. As a result, China began to fall behind the West. Not only did China not industrialize in the 18th-19th century like Europe. In addition, agriculture also changed little. China at the turn-of-the 20th century was still a largely agricultitral, peastant society with the great bulk of the population living in the countryside. Agriculture continud to be extenly labor intensive. Much of the peasantry produced only a small surplus beyond persobal conumption, but given the huge number of Chimese peasats, the agricultural surplus was szeable as long as natural disasters or wars did not intrvene. Food would prove to be central to the Chinese war effort against the Japanese. Million of Chinese peaants lived on a razor edge of survival, producing just enough to feed themselves. Thus any decline in production could have dire consequences for the Chinese people.

Geography

Chinese agriculture has serious limitations. Both topographic and climatic features pose serious limitations to agriculture in highly populated China. The area suitable for cultivation is limited. Large areas of the country is rugged an mountanous. The Gobi Desert covers a large area of northwestern China. Percipitation is limited in large ares of northern China (Manchuria). One estimate suggests that only about 10 percent of the country's total land area is suitable for agriculture. A little more than half of that area is unirrigated. The other half includes approximately equal areas of paddy and irrigated fields. Critical to Chinese agriculture had been irrigation and water managment. This was a powerful force in incouraging state development. The quality of the soil in cultivated regions varies substantially from region to region.

Agricultural Revolution

The agricultural revolution and the birth of civilization occurred first in the Middle East. This occured later in China, but entirely independently. The Yellow (Hueng He) River valley Civilization began in China (about 4000 BC). This would be basis for sucessve Chinese empires. A vast area populated by diverse ethnic groups became, gradually over time became a single culture centered on the Yellow River Valley--the Han Chinese.

Yellow and Yangtze Rivers

The Yellow stretches across China for more than 2,900 miles. It carries a rich yellow silt all the way from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean. The Yangtze River is even longer, stretching about 3,400 miles across central China. China's two major rivers merge together to create a vast food-producing area.

Medieval Era

While the last of the four great river valley civilizations to develop, China became the most efficient agricultural economy. And until very modern times, agriculture was the most important economic sector which supported the great bulk of the population. This was why China was such a rich society and during the medieval area a more advaned and prosperous society than the West. Even so, environmental problems such as floods, drought, and erosion created serious threats. ced than European agriculture. Major technological imprvements were made both in ancient and medival times. Here China was a world leader and some of the developments in China would have enormous consequnces in the west, such as the cast iron plow, but it would be centuries before the idea trabsited the Silk Road. (The primary goods carried over the Silk Road were light-weight, high valued itens.) No one carried a heavy iron plow west, but ideas did flow east and west.

Regional Divide

There was a major regional divide in China. Initially it was the north that was heavily populated. The Chinese in the densly populated north developed wheat farming. Those in the more lightly populateds south developed an agriculture based on rice.

The 18th-19th Centuries

Technological advances meant that Chinese agriculture was more advan What did not occur ib China dspite all its riches and technological advances was modernity--the idea of freedom, capitalism, democracy, science and industrialization. As a result, China began to fall behind the West. Not only did China not industrialize in the 18th-19th century like Europe. In addition, agriculture also changed little.

20th Century

China at the turn-of-the 20th century was still a largely agricultitral, peastant so iety with the great bulk of the population living in the countryside. Agriculture continud to be extenly labor intensive. Much of the peasantry produced only a small suplus beyond personal conumption, but given the huge number of Chimese peasants, the agricultural surplus was szeable as long as natural disasters or wars did not intrvene. Food would prove to be central to the Chinese war effort against the Japanese. Million of Chinese peaants lived on a razor edge of survival, producing just enough to feed themselves. Thus any decline in production could have dire consequences for the Chinese people.

World War II (1939-45)

War began in China began when Japan invaded Manchuria (1931). Food was a major attraction drawing Japan into China. Japan was not self sufficent in food and needed to import rice and other food stuffs. China across the East China Sea beckoned as a seeminly ineeaustable source of not only raw materials, but food as well. China also offered a market for Japan's expanding industrial economy. Manchuria and Korea only wetted the Japanese appetite for acquiring sources of raw material and food. And developments in Europe meant that there were few allies that China could turn to help resist the Japanese. Food would proive to be central to the Chinese war effort. Million of Chinese peaants lived on a razor edge of survival, producing just enough to feed themselnes. Thus any decline in production could have dire consequences for the Chinese people. The Nationalist Government did a reasonably good joib of managing food production and distribution in the immeciate afytermath of the Japanese invasion. And at first the Japanese primarily occupied northern China and coastal areas around Shanghai and the major ports. As the war dragged on, however, the situation worsened. The Japanese seized more inland areas, inckuding important agricultural areas. They also seized food to feed their huge army in China. Shipments make to the Home Islands, one of the goals of invading China, however, proved disappoining. The Japanese advances in China removed sunstantial important agricultural areas from Nationalist comtrol. This mean that the Governmrnt had less food at its disposl at th same time that refugees fleeing the rapacious Japanese flooded into Nationlist areas increasing the mouths to be fed with declining harvests. The Natinalists were unable to even feed its armies properly, let alone the civilian population and refugees. The result in the last years of the war was famine and starbation. Unlike Britain, America had no way to get food into China. The Japanese had cut the Burma Road (1942). Military sypplies were flown in over the Hump, but there wa no way to get in large quantities of food, The Nationalists had to use draconian measures to seize food from the peasanyry. The Comminists did to, but wigh more circumspection. The brutality of the Nationslist Army would poroive to be a major factor in the Communist victory after the war. Some food arrived with the opening of the Ledo Road (January 1945). The quantities were, however, very limited. Only with the Japanese surrender (August 1945) and the opening of Chinese ports did American food ship,mrnts begin to reach China in quantity.

Communist Rule (1949- )

The People's Liberation Armies after more han two decades of civil war and war with Japan decisively defeted the KMT Armies (1948). The People's Republic was founded (1949). Chairman Mao introduced the Agrarian Reform Law (1950). This law was publicized as giving the land to the peasants. Landlords and even well-to-do peasants were rounded up and tried in drumhead People's Courts. Many were simply executed. Others were subjected to reducation--meaning political education. The fact that some of tghese people were China's best farmers was simply ignored. Party officials moved throughout China to oversee and speed up the transition from privately owned land to 'shared' land. Peasants soon found that they did not own the land and the land they had own was being taken away from them. It was the state that owned the land The Government began a campaign overssee the establishment of small scale collective farms. As it developed, 20 to 30 households would share the work on the land assigned to them. These new comunes or collectives were based on the Soviet Kolkhutz program. The fact that Soviet collectivization had actually substantially reduced agricultural harvests did not affect Chinese Communist thinking. A factor here was that the impact on Soviet harvests was not openly publicized by Soviet authorities. It did not comport with Soviet propganda of the glories of Communism. Of course even if it had the impact was known it may not have made a difference. Other Communists in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have not been deterred from the same failed policies. Seizing their land led to protests from land-owning peasants. They had been promised land by the Communists and were now having it taken away from them. The peasantry became workers on the comunes. The were each assigned a home and a small plot of land on which they could grow their own vegetables and raise a pig and a few chickens. They also theoretically received health care and paid holidays. The school system was expanded and schools were opened in the country side. Along with the collectivization came efforts at modernization. The Govrnment began investing in fertilisers, hybrid seeds, and irrigation systems. China began using the military and slave labor from concentration and reducation camps to build dams, roads and railways in rural areas to modernize the agricutural sector. Despite the Government investment in modernization schemes and collectivisation, agricultural harvests did not increase. Mao was not pleased with the pace of collectivization. Against the advise of leading party officials, he sped up collectivization. And he increased the size beyond 20-30 houeholds originally planned. This effot became the rural part of the Great Leap Forward. In fact as a result of Mao's Great Leap Forward, harvests plunged. China had been no stranger to famine. But the Great Leap caused the most devestating famine in human history. Not only did grain harvests plummet, but Mao had the Communes take away the private plots and pigs. In only a few yers amist food shortages, however, this decision was reversed. The industrial side of the Great Leap was an equal failure although less deadly. Such failure might cause a normal person to question his beliefs. Not Mao. Not only did he not question his ideology, but began to plot aginst the Party leaders who did question hispolicies and judgement. His answer was the Cultural Revolution. The Red Guards were organized to go after thise who dared question Mao or Communist orthodoxy.

Created: 7:46 AM 6/10/2015
Last updated: 7:46 AM 6/10/2015