The 1950s and 1960s brought many changes to China. DEPTH STUDY E: CHINA, c.1930-c.1990

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1-4] 'The law took land from the landlords and gave it to the peasants.'
2. [1-4] 'Machinery and animals were also given to the peasants.'
3. [1-4] 'Rural society was divided into a new class system.'
4. [1-4] 'Land was seized from wealthy industrialists.'
5. [1-4] 'Speak bitterness campaigns were held where landlords were persecuted.'
6. [1-4] 'The law was intended as a reward to the peasants for their support in the Civil War.'
7. [1-4] 'More than 10 million landlords had their land confiscated.'
8. [2-3] 'Mao thought prevention was better than cure.'
9. [2-3] 'Health improved in rural areas.'
10. [2-3] 'The barefoot doctors were important in rural areas and brought modern medicine to places with limited healthcare facilities.'
11. [2-3] 'Life expectancy in China rose from 39 in 1949 to 68 in 1979 because of Mao's reforms.'
12. [4-5] 'Healthcare reforms were important to Mao because he wanted to promote the prevention of disease so that the workforce was stronger. China had a history of using ancient medicine to cure illnesses but Mao thought it would be better to prevent people from becoming ill in the first place. This meant that they would be fitter for work and would be more productive for longer.'
13. [6] Level 4 Explains TWO reasons (e.g., to strengthen the workforce and improve productivity).
14. [2-3] 'Iron, steel and timber production increased.'
15. [2-3] 'Communes meant education for children and that the elderly were looked after.'
16. [2-3] 'Tools and machinery were produced too quickly and many were not capable of being used.'
17. [2-3] 'Much impure iron was produced which could not be used.'
18. [2-3] 'The backyard furnaces needed coal which was needed elsewhere in the economy.'
19. [2-3] 'Too many workers focused on the backyard furnaces instead of farming.'
20. [2-3] 'Food production declined.'
21. [2-3] 'There were not enough skilled workers.'
22. [2-3] 'Peasants did not receive any rewards for hard work, so productivity declined.'
23. [4-6] 'Communes were a success for China. Many millions of people lived in them and Mao achieved his aim of controlling the peasantry and the productivity of the peasants, converting them into communists. By using propaganda, Mao encouraged productivity and ensured that the people were educated in the way he intended – large speakers in fields where peasants worked meant that they could hear political speeches by Mao. Communes controlled many aspects of the lives of workers, thus achieving Mao's objectives.'
24. [4-6] 'The communes were not a success. Increasing industrial production was an aim of the Great Leap Forward and the introduction of communes via backyard furnaces which would produce steel and machinery. Although production was high to start with, ultimately the machines and tools being quickly made were of very poor quality, often fell apart and were unsafe. To keep backyard furnaces going, workers were kept back from working in the fields. This meant that insufficient food was grown and this led to famine, with millions of deaths between the late 1950s and the early 1960s. The furnaces also used huge amounts of coal and the railway network suffered from shortages of fuel. This had a negative impact on the economy as a whole.'
25. [7-9] Level 4 Explanation of both sides (A L4 answer will have a minimum of three explanations (2 on one side; 1 on the other). Fuller explanation of one issue to be given two marks. An answer which only has one explanation on one side of the argument cannot be awarded more than 8.)
26. [10] Level 5 Explains with evaluation of 'how far' (As Level 4 plus evaluation.)