Aftermath
China was significantly affected in various ways from these movements: economic growth slowed, a political system of dictatorship was created, and many died of starvation. China isolated itself from the Western world and allied solely with other Communist countries such as the Soviet Union, Cuba, and North Korea. The exact opposite of the doctrine of Communism occurred.
It is estimated that anywhere from 30 to 80 million people died in the three year period known as the Great Leap Forward.
During the 10-year span of the Culture Revolution, education was suppressed. Instead of receiving a formal education, students were forced to work on farms and perform manual labor. The removal of an educational opportunity destroyed a generation in China by denying 16 million people of reaching their full academic potential. In addition, thousands of years' worth of culture and traditions were voluntarily destroyed in the blink of an eye. It was only years later when Chinese people realized that they had been manipulated by Mao's ideology.