The Great Leap Forward was a disaster that led to famine and millions of deaths. According to some sources, 20-40 million people may have died because of famine in China. As a consequence, Mao lost much of his authority as other top leaders put the blame on him and critized him. Unwilling to give up his position as the most important Communist leader and the main head of the party, he conceived the Cultural Revolution as a way to destroy his political opponents and consolidate his absolute power.
