The statement "China's 'Great Leap Forward' industrialization thrust during the 1950s was a disastrous failure which resulted in widespread famine and death" is **True**. Here's why:
1. **Background:** The Great Leap Forward was a campaign initiated by the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Zedong in the late 1950s to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into an industrialized socialist society.
2. **Consequences:** However, the implementation of this campaign was marked by unrealistic goals, mismanagement, and disastrous policies like the mass collectivization of agriculture and backyard furnaces for steel production. These policies led to widespread crop failures, food shortages, and famine.
3. **Famine and Death:** The Great Leap Forward resulted in a massive famine in China, with estimates of the death toll ranging from tens of millions to over 45 million people. This famine is considered one of the deadliest in human history.
4. **Historical Impact:** The failure of the Great Leap Forward had devastating consequences for China, leading to economic setbacks, loss of credibility for the Communist Party, and a shift towards more pragmatic economic policies during the later years of Mao's rule.
In conclusion, the Great Leap Forward was indeed a disastrous failure that resulted in widespread famine and death, making the statement "True."
