Ask Lemmygrad

a) Was the Great Famine real?

Yes, it would have also happened with or without Mao's involvement, China was an agrarian feudal slave society and Mao was born onto a slave farm, famines where a re-occuring feature of Chinese society and the great famine was the last one inflicted on the Chinese people, for good reason; as what folllowed was a period of cultural re-allingment (cultural revolution) as well as rapid industrailization and diverisifcation of the workforce (women where allowed to not be slaves anymore, prior to the revolution women where not allowed to leave the house and had there feet bound at birth)

Its unforutante that a lot of people died during the great leap forward but the conditions of that where not put in place by Mao, or the Chinese people; but reacted against by them, which is important to note.