Advancing On “two Lines”: Rural Practice Of Agricultural Mechanization In New Chin

From 1949 to 1966,the promotion of agricultural mechanization was an important event in rural development during the collectivization period.This article focuses on Wuzhi County in Henan Province to investigate the process of local development of mechanization from 1949 to 1966.During this period,agricultural mechanization encountered various obstacles and difficulties in its advancement.But for China’s rural agricultural production,which has been developing slowly for thousands of years,the introduction of agricultural machinery and technology to the countryside means that traditional agriculture has embarked on a new journey of modernization,and it is also a way for farmers to gradually accept and adapt to modernization in their thinking and behavior.After the founding of the People’s Republic of China,due to multiple factors such as the country’s weak in industrial foundation,and considering the priority of heavy industry development,the leaders of the Communist Party of China represented by Mao Zedong localized the Soviet experience(first mechanization and then collectivization)and decided to start agricultural cooperation first.and then promoting agricultural mechanization.Collectivization and mechanization are the overall steps to show the superiority of socialism,through which the dual transformation of socialism and modernization of individual small farmers can be completed,which contains the political concept of the Communist Party to build the countryside.However,the exchange of development steps between co-operation and mechanization made the agricultural collectivization of New China less attractive to "follow the trend" and added some ideals and romances of the "socialist blueprint".Among them,agricultural mechanization has dual connotations of politics and technology.It is not only to free farmers from the hardships and constraints of relying solely on human labor,but more importantly,to play its role in shaping socialist "new people".From 1949 to 1966,the development of agricultural mechanization basically followed two paths.The first path,that was,old-style agricultural—tools-improved agricultural — tools-semi-mechanized agricultural — agricultural mechanization,this was a gradual "ordinary road" that follows the laws of natural development.In the early days of the founding of New China,in Wuzhi County,the rapid increase of old farm tools originated from the restoration of agriculture after the end of the long war.The government and farmers worked together to supplement farm tools.However,the introduction of new tools into the countryside was driven by the state’s top-down promotion,rather than the result of farmers’ subjective initiative.In 1958,in the rural areas,a mass technological revolution with the improvement of agricultural tools started.This technological revolution,which stripped intellectuals and technical personnel,did not bring about an increase in grain production.On the contrary,it exhausted farmers and gained very little.After a period of enthusiasm and setbacks starting,the country has a clearer position on this "ordinary road".The other path was the promotion of modern agricultural machinery centered on the tractor station.After the completion of agricultural co-operation,mechanization took the stage,and the most important step for its debut was the establishment of a tractor station.Tractors were considered to be the "core of agricultural mechanization","With tractors plus other machinery,it is mechanization.If there are only other machinery and no tractors,it is not mechanization".The tractor station had high hopes for the promotion of mechanization,which was the key and focus of the strategic development of mechanization.In 1956,the successful establishment of the Wuzhi Tractor Station meant that agricultural mechanization was fully launched in the countryside.However,in 1966,the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China officially set the goal of "basically realizing agricultural mechanization by 1980".In Wuzhi County,this goal had prompted the development path of modern agricultural machinery represented by tractor stations to become the mainstream of agricultural mechanization,and the development path of the "double-line" forward had become a "single-line" forward.