How many people died of starvation during the Great Leap Forward famine?

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Mao Zedong smiling and waving with his right hand while standing outdoors in front of large lanterns and a crowd. — Mao Zedong Mao Zedong.

During the Great Leap Forward, a campaign led by the Chinese Communist Party between 1958 and early 1960, the resulting economic collapse and agricultural disruption led to a widespread famine. It is estimated that approximately 20 million people died of starvation between 1959 and 1962.123