Sino-Soviet Relations

China becomes a Communist nation

- Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on Beijing
on 1 October 1949
- Troubled history between China and Russia due to border; tension due to lost territories from
China to Russia, while struggling against Western domination.
- Failure of Manchu dynasty in China to resist Western domination ultimately led to its downfall
- New regime was in difficulty attempting to consolidate control throughout the whole country
- Unable to get the unequal treaties back form the West
- New Bolshevik regime: the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - would give up all claims to the
former Tsarist empire outside Russia
- Seized Outer Mongolia; end of WWII: Soviets stripped $2 billion of equipment and machinery
from Manchuria
1950s: alliance pledging mutual support against American imperialism
- Relationship declined - border war in 1969; Mongolia China even sought closer relations with
the USA
- Only until the 1980s when the relationship began to improve again.

Causes of the Breakdown in Relations

Historical differences

- Russia seized Chinese territory in 19th century

- Bolsheviks seized Outher Mongolia in 1920s
- Manchuria stropped of $2 billion in equipment
Ideological differences

- Mao: Maoism
- Stalin: Stalinism
- Argued over continuing revolution
Political differences

- Khrushchev and Mao wanted domination over Asia

- Mao opposed the policy of peaceful co-existence
- Mao sought independence from Moscow only conditional help from the USSR in the
Korean War
Economic differences
- Argued over how to develop the Chinese economy - Great Leap Forward failure
- China had to pay for military aid
Military differences
- USSR reluctant to give China military aid and nuclear technology Chinese suspicions
Maos foreign policy priorities in 1949 - source of disagreements can be traced back to Maos aims:
national survival, rather than helping the USSR
1. Economic development
China reluctantly relied on Soviet aid and expertise to rebuild itself; internationally isolated at
UN, Western trade embargo since 1949
2. Territorial integrity
China needed to secure control over outlying provinces, e.g. Taiwan, Tibet; feared hostile
forces on its borders needed Soviet protection initially
3. National identity
Maoism not only about world revolution but also about restoring the Chinese nation and
redressing past humiliations, e.g. Soviet domination Mao wanted independence of action
4. International revolution
Mao believed that war with Capitalism was inevitable; Communist relations should be
encouraged worldwide, but the USSR didnt want this after 1956

Ideological and Personal Differences (Stalin and Mao)

- history of disagreements even before 1949

- Stalin believed that the KMT were better placed to re-unify China; supported them in the
1940s

- Mao believed that Stalin wanted a weaker China so that there could be Soviet dominance

- Different interpretations of Communism; Mao - peasants as the revolutionary class; Stalin

disagreed, with urban workers as the revolutionary basis

- Potential rivals - Stalin mistrustful; did not want to spread Soviet commitments into Asia as war
in Europe post-WWII seemed likely

Sino-Soviet Treaty of Alliance

- February 1950: Mao invited to Msocow

- promised economic assistance to China, in case of war against Japan again
- Mao offended by treatment: $300 million in loan (repayable), China had to recognise Soviet
control over Outer Mongolia and influence in Manchuria
- Khrushchev later called it an insult to the Chinese people; although the USSR sent over 20,000
advisors to the PRC, helped construct over 200 industrial projects

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

- Over 1 million Chinese fought, over 700,000 casualties, including the son of Mao who was killed
- Had to pay for all weapons used ($1.35 billion) that the Soviets supplied to China
- Mao thought that Stalin wanted China to be weak so the USSR could dominate
- Stalin deliberately preventing an early armistice in order to exhaust the Chinese

Khrushchev
After Stalins death, the USSR was ruled by Malenkov, Khrushchev and Bulganin

- Tensions eased as the USSR began to supply China with loans and technology 1953-56:
honeymoon period

- By 1956, Khrushchev became the de facto leader of the USSR

- 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party - attacked Stalin - personality cult and his
crimes - Stalin had put himself above the party
- Mao - attack on himself as he ruled in a similar way to Stalin; only helped the West by criticising
a Communist increased tensions

Peaceful co-existence

- 1956: Khrushchev began calling for peaceful coexistence with the West - better relations with
the USA to avoid nuclear war

- Indirectly caused protests across Eastern Europe, as many believed that Khrushchev was
promising greater freedoms - Hungary Uprising (1956) violently crushed
- Mao angered by the failure of the USSR to control reactionary forces and allow protests
- Mao viewed peaceful-coexistence with the West as heresy, betrayal of the Marxist-Leninist
notion of the inevitability of war with Capitalism
- War with the capitalist world is inevitable - Marx
- continuing revolution with the West only way to keep communist alive and the only way to
ensure the victory of Communism
- By negotiating with the West on arms reductions in 1950s, Mao believed that the USSR was
becoming a revisionist - betrayer of Communism

1957 Moscow Conference

- November 1957: special Meeting of World Communist Parties in Moscow: to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution to try and resolve differences between parties
- Despite approving a declaration that promised future co-operation, Mao made a series of
speeches that accused Khrushchev of being revisionist - straying away from the MarxistLeninist path
- Deng Xiaoping demolished USSR speaker Mikhail Suslov - world revolution only possible
through armed struggle
- War of words angered and humiliated Moscow

Khrushchevs Visit to Beijing (1958)

- Clear from the conference in 1957 that Mao was trying to challenge the Soviet Union for the
leadership of the international Communist movement

- Threat to the USSR - used the international movement to spread Soviet influence around the
world

- Khrushchev tried to repair damage

- Mao wanted to humiliate Khrushchev; passive aggressive even organised meetings in
Maos swimming pool

- Talks failed dramatically

- USSR proposed a joint fleet of submarines and radio stations - bring China under Soviet military
control

- Deng again attacked the Soviet Union, saying that they were arrogant for only viewing
themselves as the only true Marxist-Leninists even accused Soviet technical advisors as
being spies

Taiwan Crisis

island of Quemoy - China mobilised its army for war

USA sent 7th fleet
Mao prove independence from Khrushchev; test whether Khrushchev would help
Shows Russia Mao is too risky and crazy - testing the stability of the capitalist system- stopped
trusting Mao; Trotskyism
- End of economic and scientific relations

The Great Leap Forward (1958-61)

- faulty in design and erroneous in practice

- Peng Dehuai

Soviet-Albanian Split 1961

- USSR withdrew financial aid to Albania; China immediately sent technical and financial
assistance

- Mao attempting to prove that he is the leader of the Communist world; attacked their sphere
experience

End of diplomatic relations (1961)

Albania led to the end of diplomatic relations
22nd Congress of the CPSU
Mao - Asian Hitler, Khrushchev - redundant old boot
Zhou Enlai dramatically staged a walk-out of the Congress

Sino-Indian War 1962

- Rivalry became hostile

- Despite over Tibetan border
- officially neutral
Cuban Missile Crisis

- attacked USSR for its adventurism in placing missiles on Cuba and its capitulationism
- What right have you to decide for us questions ivnvolign our very existence and our class
struggle?

Nuclear issue (1963-4)

- Mao frustrated by attitude of USSR in sharing its nuclear weapons - only if USSR was in ctonrol
of its use
- Chinese developed their own nuclear weapons
- 59/6

Cultural Revolution

- Brezhnev continued to isolate China

Sino-Soviet Border War 1969

- Manchuria
- Hydrogen bomb
- 50 divisions along Chinese border

Vietnam war

- both sides tried to win support and influence over the Vietminh
- main champion against US imperialism

Cambodia - Pol Pot

- Chinese influence
- Vietnam invaded Cambodia

Chinese Invasion of Vietnam 1979

- 17th February
- Chinese forced to withdraw

Invasion of Afghanistan

- Mujahideen fighters

Sino-Soviet Detente -1985

- Gorbachev: reform USSR end to Afghan occupation

- new negotiations with China

Conclusion

- historians had little access to documentary evidence

- forced to rely unofficial statements

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2.
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5.

As the inevitable result of Sino-Soviet silvery in East Asia

as an ideological clash over the correct interpretation of Marxism-Leninism
As part of a different tradition of Chinese opposition to imperialism
As the result of different politics
As a realist of the rivalry between Mao and Stalin