Sino-Soviet Relations
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-In the 1950s USSR and PRC formed an alliance pledging mutual support
-the relationship declined in the 1960s, culminating in a brief border war in 1969. China -By the late 1980s the relations started to improve Reasons for the breakdown in relations Historical Differences – Russia had seized Chinese territory in 19th century, Bolsheviks seized Outer Mongolia in 1920s, Manchuria stripped of $2 billion in equipment after WW2, USSR had supported KMT in 1920s/30s. Ideological Differences – Mao and Stalin differed over interpretation of Marxist revolution, Stalin opposed Mao’s rise in CCP, argued over ‘continuing revolution’. Political Differences - Mao opposed Khrushchev’s ‘peaceful co-existence’ policy, sought independence from Moscow, USSR only gave conditional support during Korean War, both sought leadership of international Communist movement. Economic Differences – Argued over how to develop Chinese economy, Great Leap Forward failure, China had to pay for aid Military Differences – USSR was reluctant to give China military aid and nuclear technology, China suspicious of this. Mao’s Foreign Policy Priorities in 1949 Economic Development – China reluctantly relied on Soviet aid and expertise to re-build, internationally isolated at UN, Western trade embargo since November 1949. Territorial Integrity – China needed to secure its control over outlying provinces like Tibet and Taiwan. Feared hostile forces on its borders in Vietnam/Korea, needed Soviet protection initially National Identity – Maoism was not just about world revolution but restoring the Chinese nation and re-dressing past humiliations, including Soviet domination. Mao wanted independence of action. International Revolution – Mao believed that war with Capitalism was inevitable. Communist revolutions should be encouraged world-wide. USSR didn’t want this after 1956. Ideological & Personal Differences -Mao believed that Stalin wanted to weaken China so that he could dominate it -Mao’s interpretation of Marxism focused on using the peasants as the revolutionary class. Stalin believed that this was wrong, revolution should be based on urban working class The Sino-Soviet Treaty of Alliance -In February 1950, Mao was invited to Moscow to sign a treaty of alliance -The USSR promised economic assistance to China and protect China in case of war with Japan again -Mao was offended by this treaty, Mao had to recognise Soviet control over Outer Mongolia and influence in Manchuria -Khrushchev later called it ‘an insult to the Chinese people’. Despite this, the USSR sent over 20,000 advisors to the PRC and helped construct over 200 industrial projects The Korean War -November 1950, the Red Army of the PRC invaded North Korea in an attempt to push back American-led UN forces which threatened to wipe out the North Koreans -During the war, over 1 million Chinese troops fought, with over 700,000 casualties. Even Mao’s son was killed and China had to pay back to the USSR $1.35 billion in weapons it had supplied to China Khrushchev and De-Stalinisation -Stalin’s death in 1953, the Soviet Union became ruled by Malenkov, Khrushchev and Bulganin. Tensions eased as the USSR began to supply China with loans and technology -By 1956, Nikita Khrushchev had become de facto leader of the USSR. In February, he gave a speech criticising the personality cult of Stalin and his crimes, suggesting Stalin had “put himself above the party” Khrushchev and ‘Peaceful Coexistence’ -In 1956, Khrushchev began calling for ‘peaceful co-existence’ and better relations with the USA to avoid nuclear war -Mao was angered by the failure of the USSR to control ‘reactionary forces’ and for allowing protests with the USSR -Mao sincerely believed that ‘continuing revolution’ with the West was the only way to ensure the victory of Communism -By negotiating with the West on arms reductions in the 1950s, Mao believed the USSR was becoming a ‘revisionist’ and betrayer of true Communism The 1957 Moscow Conference -November 1957, Khrushchev convened a special Meeting of World Communist Parties in Moscow to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution and to try and resolve differences -Despite approving a declaration that promised future co-operation, Mao made a series of speeches warning Moscow to abandon ‘revisionism’ and to return to the true Marxist-Leninist path -In a series of speeches, Deng Xiaoping demolished the Soviet speaker, Mikhail Suslov, by arguing that world revolution was only possible through armed struggle. This angered and humiliated Moscow Khrushchev’s Visit to Beijing 1958 -It was clear from the 1957 Moscow Conference that Mao was attempting to challenge the USSR for leadership of the international communist movement -Khrushchev visited Beijing in July 1958. Mao took his chance to humiliate Khrushchev -The talks failed dramatically -Deng Xiaoping again attacked the USSR, stating they were arrogant for only viewing themselves as the only true Marxist-Leninists The Taiwan Crisis 1958 -In this underlying atmosphere of mistrust and enmity, a crisis erupted over Taiwan in August 1958 -China began bombarding the Nationalist controlled island of Quemoy off the Chinese coast and mobilised its army for war. The USA responded by mobilising the 7th Fleet and prepared for war -It seemed as if Mao was trying to prove his independence from the USSR and to test the USSR’s support for China -Khrushchev argued that he was unwilling to put the USSR at risk by ‘testing the stability of the capitalist system’ -In response the USSR withdrew all its technical and scientific advisors from China in 1959 and ended all military cooperation, including nuclear The Great Leap Forward 1958-61 -The increasing failure of Mao’s ‘Great Leap Forward’ economic plan was criticised by the USSR. It had led to famine and economic collapse within China -The Soviet press called it ‘faulty in design and erroneous in practice’ and denounced Mao - He was purged by Mao during the July 1959 Lushan Conference Soviet-Albanian Split 1961 -When the USSR began withdrawing financial aid to Albania in January 1961, China immediately stepped in to supply Albania with technical and financial assistance -Mao was attempting to prove the leadership of China as the true leader of the Communist world. Albania had also criticised Khrushchev for his ‘revisionism’ The End of Diplomatic Relations 1961 -The move to support Albania was a clear challenge to Soviet influence in Europe. Matters came to ahead at the 22nd Congress of the CPSU in Moscow in October 1961 -This ended diplomatic relations between the two nations. Khrushchev called Mao an ‘Asian Hitler’ and Mao called Khrushchev ‘a redundant old boot’ The Sino-Indian War 1962 -In October 1962, a dispute over the Tibetan border between India and China broke out into fighting. The war ended in November with China taking disputed areas -Although officially ‘neutral’, the USSR had supported India by selling MIG fighter jets The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 -the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted when Soviet ballistic nuclear missiles were spotted by the US on Cuba -After a tense stand-off, Khrushchev backed-down by removing the missiles -Mao attacked the USSR for its ‘adventurism’ in placing missiles on Cuba and its ‘capitulationism’ in cowardly backing down The Nuclear Issue 1963-64 -The USSR only agreed to give China a nuclear deterrent if China allowed the USSR to control its use. This Mao could not agree to -After Soviet nuclear cooperation was withdrawn in 1959, Chinese nuclear physicists managed to piece together hundreds of shredded documents on nuclear technology -This knowledge enabled China to press ahead with developing its own bomb. However in 1963 the USSR and USA signed the Test Ban Treaty which suspended the atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs -In 1964 China detonated its first atomic bomb. It was now a superpower. The bomb was codenamed’ 59/6’ after the year and month that Soviet atomic advisors had been withdrawn |
Activities 1-10
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Sino-Soviet Treaty of Alliance:
-Mao's visit to Moscow in 1950 -The treaty offered the PRC the promise of soviet expertise and low interest-aid -USSR exploiting China and not taking them seriously -Mao and Chinese officials not treated with great sincerity -Soviet put the treaty in their own favor, they would give loans to Chinese but force them to pay back with interest Why was Stalin reluctant to support Mao and the CCP -two different ideologies between Mao and Stalin -Mao's interpretation of Marxism (using peasants for revolution) -feared Mao as a rival for the communist world -did not want the cold war to spread to Asia -underestimated the ccp and thought gmd was stronger -Khrushchev was disaster prone, Mao thought he could turn Khrushchev's vulnerability to his own advantage -Although Khrushchev and Mao were communists, at heart they were both nationalists and always doubted each other -USSR looked down on the Chinese and Moscow blamed the failure on Mao's wrongheadedness -Soviets blamed the selfishness and different ideologies for the failure of the sino-soviet relations Published in 2007-ability of hindsight -not a balanced argument and portrays the soviets as villains -doesn't acknowledge there were always problems between china and the USSR Split between PRC and USSR -USSR saw GMO as stronger than CCD -Stalin threatened by Mao -soviet insistence Mao's payment to materials for Korean war -Mao thought he could become a super leader of communism, but Khrushchev came in -Khrushchev peaceful co-existence -Mao saw this as ideological heresy -Mao's decision on Taiwan evidenced his lack of understanding on political standpoint -Great leap forward seemed to go towards capitalism -CCP offered to replace Soviet money and technical assistance to Albania Promotes revolution, goes against peaceful co-existence -"Chicken" calling out against Khrushchev for non-violence -soviets want a different type of communism in China and China had no right to call out soviets ideology completely one sided rainstorm taking over, threat to west and USSR -China a developing force not yet reckoned with -minimize the risk that rivals within china to challenge Mao's position Aggressive policies by USSR in Czechoslovakia, oppressed the Czechoslovakia people -exploitation of smaller eastern European countries -promotion or dictatorship Don't like the fact that USSR just bullies smaller communist countries |