Three Years of Natural Disasters - Definition and Overview

The Three Years of Natural Disasters (三年自然灾害/三年自然災害) refers to the period in the People's Republic of China between 1959 and 1961. It was the last famine China had, after thousands of years of famines, including one during the 1940s, prior to Communist rule. Despite the name, it is generally openly acknowledged by most everyone, including people within the Communist Party of China, that the root of the disaster was poor economic planning rather than natural causes, and hence this name is rarely used in China to describe the period.

Background

During the Great Leap Forward, farming was collectivized and organized into communes.

Outcome

By analyzing population data, Western analysts such as Patricia Buckley Ebrey estimate that about 20-40 million people had died of starvation caused by bad government policy and natural disasters.

Politics

See also: Great Leap Forward (1958-1960)