Trials Fact Sheet: Trials of the Prime Ministers

The following information should be included on your fact sheet:

1. Trial Name: Crown vs. _Mao Zedong______________

2. Trial Date: __June 11, 2007__________________________

3. a)Your Name: ____Brigit Fry____________________________________

b) Prosecution Lawyers: __Arti, Chelsea, Vanessa______________

c) Defense Lawyers: ___Brigit, Emily, Courtney___________________

4. Your Opening Statement

-The Great Leap Forward was a time in history where Mao Zedong wanted to advance China’s position in world economy. He wished to strengthen China’s developing industrialization and agriculture after noticing how vulnerable the country was. This vulnerability was brought to Mao’s attention after his fallout with the Soviet Union. His 150 development projects that were planned, financed, and staffed by the Soviet Union were brought to a halt after some ideological differences. China did not have the technological and financial resources to complete these projects on its own, and therefore, Mao was made conscious of China’s dependency on outside aid. Mao had only positive intentions for The Great Leap Forward, and thus did not commit crimes against humanity. Inaccurate science, fearful officials, and the weather are all what caused this devastation throughout the years of 1958-1963.

5. Your Charge

- Mao committed crimes against humanity during The Great Leap Forward

6. Arguments / Evidence proving the charge:

- (None – defending)

7. a) Your Witness: __Mao Zedong______ (character’s name) played by __Rebecca Chi______ (student’s name)

b) Information / Arguments/ Evidence / Questions for witness

- Arguments: Mao Zedong only had positive intentions for the whole of the country during the Great Leap Forward. He fabricated it in order to strengthen the developing agriculture and industrialization in China. He though that working together would be more efficient. Fearful officials, the weather, and bad science caused the devastation of the millions who starved.

-Questions: What was your position leading up to and including the Great Leap Forward?

- Did you or did you not fabricate the Great Leap Forward?

- Was it for good intentions though?

- What were your positive intentions for the GLF?

- Who is Nikita Khrushchev?

- What was your plan to accomplish the GLF?

- What were the problems that started?

- TIt is evident that you did not tell the peasants to melt their own personal items, so what made them being to do this?

- Please explain this quote: “The excellent growing weather of 1958 was followed by a very poor growing year in 1959. Some parts of China were hit by floods. In other growing areas, drought was a major problem. This harvest for 1959 was 170 million tons of grain - well below what China needed at the most basic level. In parts of China, starvation occurred. 1960 had even worse weather than 1959. The harvest of 1960 was 144 million tons. Nine million people were thought to have starved to death in 1960 alone; many millions were left desperately ill as a result of lack of food. The government had to introduce rationing. This put people on the most minimal of food and between 1959 and 1962, it is thought that 20 million people died of starvation or diseases related too starvation.[1]”

- What does the “law of life of species” mean to you?

8. a) Cross Examination of witness for opposition: _Anren Yang____ (character’s name) played by ________Kelly________ (student’s name)

b) Information / Arguments/ Evidence / Questions for witness

- Please state your name for the court.

- What was your occupation during the years 1958 to 1963?

- What crops did you and your collective farm?

- What were the quotas that you were directed to fulfill from 1958 to 1963?

- How much did your collective actually harvest during this time period?

- To your knowledge, who set the quotas?

- To your knowledge, what formula did the commune officials use to set the quotas for your commune?

- What happened when these quotas were not reached?

- Did you know that Mao was unaware of the inflated quotas?

- Therefore, how can Mao be blamed if he was deceived by his staff all along?

- Is there anything important that you can remember about the weather patterns during the years 1958-1963?

- “In 1960, at least some degree of drought and other bad weather affected 55% of cultivated land, while an estimated 60% of northern agriculture land received no land at all[2]”.

- At the beginning of the GLF, did you believe that Mao had the best interests of The People at heart?

- With your experience of a farmer, are you aware of the term “close cropping”?

- Was this form of farming successful for you and your collective?

- Why did you participate in this type of farming when you knew from your own life experience that close cropping was doomed to fail miserably?

9. Examination of Historical Figure: Information / Arguments / Evidence / Questions for Prime Minister

- Mao Zedong:

- December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976

- Chinese Marxist military/political leader, and philosopher

- Led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory during the civil war

- Thought to have transformed China into a major power through his social and economic reforms

10. Closing Statement

Mao is not guilty for crimes committed against humanity during the Great Leap Forward. His intentions were that of prosperity for all of China. He wished to bring China up to speed agriculturally and industrially with the rest of the world, and thought that working together and creating enthusiasm for the productions would benefit everyone. This Utopian dream turned into a devastating nightmare, caused by fearful officials, faulty science, and bad weather. Mao had no control over these three things. He is not guilty for crimes against humanity during the Great Leap Forward. He only wanted China to grow as a country and never thought it would get as much out of control as it did.

11. Works Cited List

Caplan, Brian. Museum of Communism FAQ.. 11 June 2007

<http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/comfaq.htm#part7>.

Harms, William. China's Great Leap Forward. 14 Mar. 1996. 10 June 2007

<http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/960314/china.shtml>.

Spencer, Metta. Mao Outdid Stalin, Who Outdid Hitler? 01 Dec. 2005. 11 June 2007 <http://metta-

spencer.blogspot.com/2005/12/mao-outdid-stalin-who-outdid-hitler.html>.

The Light Party. The Great Leap Forward into Starvation. 1996. 10 June 2007

<http://www.lightparty.com/Misc/Starvation.html>.

Trueman, Chris. The Great Leap Forward. 2000-2007. 8 June 2007

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/great_leap_forward.htm.

Watkins, Thayer. The Great Leap Forward Period In China, 1958-1960.. 11 June 2007

<http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/greatleap.htm>.

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[1] Trueman, Chris. The Great Leap Forward. 2000-2007. 8 June 2007

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/great_leap_forward.htm.

[2] Asia Times. Mao and Lincoln (Part 2): The Great Leap Forward not all bad. 1 April 2004. 10 June 2007