In 1958 Mao Zedong introduced an ambitious development plan called the?

In 1958, Mao Zedong introduced the Great Leap Forward, an ambitious development plan aimed at rapidly transforming China from an agrarian society into an industrialized socialist nation. The plan emphasized collective farming and the establishment of backyard steel furnaces to boost industrial output. However, it led to widespread agricultural disruption, food shortages, and a catastrophic famine, resulting in millions of deaths. The Great Leap Forward is often regarded as a major failure in Mao's leadership and economic policy.