[TMJC] Sino-Soviet notes

H1 History 8821 Theme 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Superpower Relations with China 1 TMJC History Unit | Updated April 2024 SUPERPOWER RELATIONS WITH CHINA (1950 – 1979) SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS 1. Overview & Main Events in beginning, consolidation , worsening and to total split in Sino-Soviet relations 2. Causes leading to the worsening Sino-Soviet Relations (1960-1979) a. Ideological splits b. Clash of personality between Mao & Stalin & Khrushchev c. Domestic politics in China & Mao’s political agenda d. Sino-Soviet Roots of historical mistrust - Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship (1950) e. Evolving Security concerns: i. Role of US: foreign policy impact on Sino-Soviet relations ii. Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia (1986), Afghanistan (1979) f. Competition for global influence: i. Chinese Invasion of Vietnam and Soviet Responses (1979) 3. Consequences of the Sino-Soviet Rivalry Overview Possible Questions:- • How far was the breakdown in relations a result of ideological differences? • “Rivals rather than ideological brothers.” HFDYA with this statement with regards to Sino - Soviet relations from 1950 to 1979? • Sino-Soviet relations between 1950 and 1979 were primarily influenced by Sino -American ties.” How far do you agree with this? Introduction The Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s was unmistakably one of the most significant events during the Cold War era. Why did the Sino-Soviet alliance, hailed by its creators as ‘unbreakable’ and ‘eternal’ ‘brotherly solidarity’, break up and the bilateral relations eventually evolve into open hostility and military confrontations in the 1960s? The answer commonly can be attributed to security concerns which did evolve through time and international political developments: • 1950s: Traditional security concerns involve wider ideological conflict with the USA • 1960s: Greater desire to exert global supremacy that aggravated security concerns between Soviets and China , which motivated irreconcilable differences and resulted in Sino-Soviet split in 1969. The relationship between Russia and China could be described as that of estranged siblings.

H1 History 8821 Theme 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Superpower Relations with China 2 TMJC History Unit | Updated April 2024 • While both were communist from 1949, their relationship was lukewarm at best. • Relations were frosty from 1960 onwards after the Sino-Soviet Split. • Prospects for improvement only came about after the death of Mao, when more progressive and liberal-minded leaders like Gorbachev and Deng Xiao Ping focused on economic reforms. “Insofar as its impact upon the Cold War’s overall development is concerned, the divergences between the Chinese and Soviet communists gradually shattered the foundation of the strategic alliance between Beijing and Moscow…both the socialist camp and the i nternational communist movement became profoundly divided, and it was no longer viable for the communists to present a “coordinated challenge” to Capitalism’s worldwide reign; nor was it possible for the global Cold War to remain a general confrontation between two contending camps, systems, and ideologies.” ~ Chen Jian, The Beginning of the End: 1956 as a Turning Point in Chinese & Cold War History 1. Overview of key events in evolving Sino-Soviet Relationship [1917-1980] 1917 – 1949: Tense, tenuous relationship (Roots of ideological differences, historical animosity) Although the 1917 Bolshevik revolution had inspired the founding of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921, where leaders of the ‘adopted the language, the symbols, and important parts of the worldview of the Russian Communists’, its relations with USSR had been tense and Mao’s contact with Moscow was neither gratifying nor pleasant. The CCP fought a long civil war against the Nationalists, the Kuomintang, led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek from 1927 to 1949. The seeds of ideological differences were sown where Mao ignored most of the political and military advice that Stalin gave him because applying (traditional) Leninist revolutionary theory of an urban proletariat (working class) revolution proved difficult to implement in China. China, unlike Russia, had no great urban working class. Thus, he organised the peasants and farmers to fight the Chinese Revolution based on Mao’s version of agrarian socialism. However, Stalin felt that Mao’s interpretation of Marxism was not genuine revolutionary Marxism, which should feature workers leading an urban -based class war. Hence, Stalin was afraid that Mao would pose a threat to Stalin’s orthodox ideology, which would then threaten his leadership in the communist world. Additionally, Mao’s aims and foreign policy priorities in 1949 was essentially about national survival, rather than benefiting the USSR. • E.g. Mao felt that China needed to secure its control over outlying provinces like Tibet and Taiwan, and felt that Vladivostok and the surrounding areas should be returned to China from the Soviets. E.g. Mao also felt that China needed to restore their identity and re -dress pa st humiliations, including Soviet domination. Mao wanted independence of action.

H1 History 8821 Theme 2: The Cold War in Asia, 1945 – 1991 Topic 1: Superpower Relations with China 3 TMJC History Unit | Updated April 2024 Hence, such conflicting interests that Stalin had with Mao convinced Mao that Stalin wanted a divided and weak China to leave the USSR dominant in Asia. He saw Stalin’s policies as rooted in self-interests, rather than true revolutionary doctrine. Moreover, Communist Party of Soviet Union (CPSU) -CCP relations were tenuous at times due to Soviet engagement of the CCP’s enemy —the Kuomintang (Nationalist) government. Stalin had aligned with the Kuomintang (KMT) or Guomindang (GMD) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to cooperate with the KMT. Stalin also provided very limited support to the assistance to the CCP when the civil war erupted after 1945. This was because Stalin was not interested in spreading the Cold War and Soviet commitments to Asia at that period of time when war in Europe seemed likely after WW2. Furthermore, Stalin knew that Chiang Kai -Shek (leader of KMT) would recognise Soviet claims to the disputed border territory along the frontiers in Manchuria and Xinjiang (geopolitical considerations). Even after the CCP broke the KMT’s hold over North China, Stalin refused to throw his full support behind the CCP. This resulted in Mao attempting to negotiate a truce along the Yangtze River while the USA and USSR discussed China’s future. On 1st October 1949, CCP celebrated its victory over the KMT. The KMT had since fled to Taiwan [Formosa]. Despite Mao’s discontentment over Stalin’s attempted negotiations with the USA over China’s future, his main priority was establishing a new relationship between the two countries as he wanted a treaty that recognised the CCP government, to receive Soviet military protection and economic aid, and secure the Chinese border areas adjacent to the USSR. • Throughout the Chinese Civil War, it was evident that there were already deep-seated roots of mistrust and hidden hostilities between both nations as they each had differing interpretations of the Communist ideology. • The creation of the PRC shocked the USA and caused them to panic. Consequently, US policies in Southeast Asia changed dramatically. (More detail in Sino -USA relations notes) • Despite the reluctance of USSR to recognise Mao as the leader of China, the USSR still had to ensure alliance between the 2 nations out of mutual convenience as their identities were both communists. 1950 – 1953: Consolidation of Sino-Soviet relations 3. Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance, Feb 1950 In February 1950, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China