To win favour with their superiors and avoid being purged, each layer in the party exaggerated the amount of grain produced under them. Based upon the falsely reported success, party cadres were ordered to requisition a high amount of that fictitious harvest. The result, compounded in some areas by drought and in others by floods, was that farmers were left with little food and many millions starved to death in the Great Chinese Famine. The people of urban areas were given food stamps each month, but the people of rural areas were expected to grow their own crops and give some of the crops back to the government. The death count in rural parts of China surpassed the deaths in the urban centers. The famine was a direct cause of the death of some 30 million Chinese peasants between 1959 and 1962. Many children became malnourished.
To win favour with their superiors and avoid being purged each layer in the party exaggerated the amount of grain produced under them Based upon the falsely reported success party cadres were ordered to requisition a high amount of that fictitious harvest The result compounded in some areas by drought and in others by floods was that farmers were left with little food and many millions starved to death in the Great Chinese Famine The people of urban areas were given food stamps each month but the people of rural areas were expected to grow their own crops and give some of the crops back to the government The death count in rural parts of China surpassed the deaths in the urban centers The famine was a direct cause of the death of some 30 million Chinese peasants between 1959 and 1962 Many children became malnourished