Chapter 33: Asia and the Pacific "The Great Leap Forward" Introduction      You have learned that in 1958 the Chinese launched an ambitious economic plan known as the Great Leap Forward. Under this plan the agricultural cooperatives were merged into larger, supposedly self-sufficient units called communes. But the communes were not self-sufficient, and the plan was a disaster that caused massive suffering. Destination Title: The Great Leap Forward Web site Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window. Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips. Directions Start at The Great Leap Forward Web site. Scroll down the Web page, reading and analyzing the information about the Great Leap Forward in the first four paragraphs. [NOTE: The CCP is the Chinese Communist Party.] Answer the following questions. 1. What was the purpose of the Great Leap Forward? 2. What did Mao and his fellow radicals believe was missing from the first Five-Year Plan that they hoped could be infused into the next one? 3. What were the economic consequences of the Great Leap Forward? 4. Why do you think the Great Leap Forward was such a disaster?