>>11617083That was not his intent. Millions of Chinese were already starving before Mao due to WW2 and other conflicts (Opium wars) that had ravaged the country. If the communists didn't take over, I kind of doubt the nationalists would have done any better. The country was crumbling apart, non-existent infrastructure, literally a 3rd world shithole country that was completely destroyed by imperial Japan.
That is why the communist revolution happened in the first place. A majority of the Chinese got tired of the status quo (Nationalists incapable of fending off foreign imperialist powers, widespread poverty, etc.) and decided to jump on the Communist train thinking a dramatic reversal in economic-social policy would fix their problems.
