Confrontation and Cooperation, c1963–1972: Pressures on USSR - Relations with China

Question 1

When did the Sino-Soviet alliance start and end?

Answer 1

• Formed in 1950

- Ended from 1960-1964

Question 2

Who were the leaders of the USSR and China when the Sino-Soviet split occurred?

Answer 2

• Khrushchev then Brezhnev

- Mao

Question 3

How did Khrushchev and Mao conflict?

Answer 3

• Status

• Mao and China didn’t want to be a minor communist power and believed the USSR didn’t treat them equally
• Khrushchev believed that as the leader of the first communist state, he should be the leader of the communist world

• Ideology
- Mao accused Khrushchev of revisionism especially with his attempts at peaceful coexistence

Question 4

What is revisionism?

Answer 4

• Term used against governments or individuals who were seen as deviating from the revolutionary path of socialism, usually towards the adaptation of capitalist policies

Question 5

What actions did Khrushchev take that angered Mao?

Answer 5

• Accused of abandoning struggle against capitalist imperialism and moving towards peaceful coexistence with US
• Indirectly supported India in border dispute with China in 1959
• Withdrew technological aid from Chinese by removing Soviet experts in 1960
• Undermined China’s emerging nuclear weapon programme
• Didn’t notify China of his decision to place nuclear missiles on Cuba in 1962

Question 6

What country did the USSR indirectly support in its border dispute in China? When did this occur?

Answer 6

• India

- 1959

Question 7

When did the USSR remove Soviet technology experts from China?

Answer 7

• 1960

Question 8

When did the USSR place nuclear missiles on Cuba without notifying China?

Answer 8

• 1962

Question 9

What actions did Mao take that angered Khrushchev?

Answer 9

• Provoked the US by bombing Taiwanese-held islands of Quemoy and Matsu in 1958
• Criticised Khrushchev for being unwilling to use nuclear weapons
• Criticised Khrushchev for removing missiles in Cuba as a betrayal of the Cuban revolution

Question 10

What islands did the Chinese bomb which provoked the US? When did this occur?

Answer 10

• Taiwanese-held islands of Quemoy and Matsu

- 1958

Question 11

When did talks between China and the USSR break down?

Answer 11

• July 1963

Question 12

What did China call for after the breakdown in relations? How did Khrushchev and Brezhnev respond?

Answer 12

• Due to breakdown in relations, in 1964 China called for return of territory the USSR had occupied e.g parts of Siberia
• Khrushchev rejects but ousted in October 1964
• Brezhnev wanted to improve relations, partly due to US involvement in Vietnam
• Brezhnev believed USSR and China had to support North Vietnam
• Representative met Mao but this failed and relations worsened after Malinovsky incident

Question 13

What pieces of territory did China call for the return of? When did China request this?

Answer 13

• Parts of Siberia

- 1964

Question 14

When was Khrushchev ousted?

Answer 14

• October 1964

Question 15

Malinovsky Incident

Answer 15

• Late 1964
• Occurred at Sino-Soviet talks in Moscow
• Soviet Defence minister, Rodion Malinovsky, suggested to Chinese delegate, Marshal He Long, that the Chinese should rid of Mao as the USSR had done with Khrushchev
• Talks immediately collapsed despite Soviet apologies

Question 16

When did the Malinovsky Incident occur?

Answer 16

• Late 1964

Question 17

Vietnam

Answer 17

• Meetings

• April 1965
• USSR requested a meeting with China and North Vietnam to develop a collective response to US’ escalation of Vietnam War
• Proposal met with resistance from China and meeting never took place
• Mao wanted North Vietnam to remain dependent on China and not USSR

• Air force base

• USSR proposed establishing a Soviet air force base in Kunming, southern China
• Purpose to station 12 MiG-21 fighter planes to protect Sino-Vietnamese border from US aggression
• China saw this as a military intrusion on its territory and believed that China was part of USSR’s imperialist targeting and reconciliation with the US

Question 18

When did the USSR request a meeting with China and North Vietnam?

Answer 18

• April 1965

Question 19

Which planes did the USSR want to station in China? How many planes? Where in China did they want them to be stationed?

Answer 19

• Wanted to station 12 MiG-21 fighter planes

- In Kunming, southern China

Question 20

The Cultural Revolution

Answer 20

• 1966

• Aims

• Aimed at restoring revolutionary communist roots after drift from ideological purity of Chinese revolution and to identify ideological deviants
• Attacks on anything Western, capitalist or dynastic
• USSR was seen as revisionist and target for ideological attack

• Actions

• Removal of high-ranking communists
• Empowerment of youth
• Red Guard largely led revolution while carrying ‘Little Red Book’
• Red Guard mob led by 16 year old girl threatened to burn Soviet embassy in Beijing
• Mao had to call on army to end revolution in 1969, but effects continued until death of Mao in 1976

Question 21

When was the Chinese Cultural Revolution and how did it end?

Answer 21

• Started in 1966
• Mao called on army to end it in 1969
• Effects lasted until Mao’s death in 1976

Question 22

Border disputes

Answer 22

• February 1967
- Due to increasing hostility from China, USSR decided to station military forces in Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan

• March 1969

• China believed USSR intended to attack
• China adopts ‘active defence’ which based on limited aggression to deter Soviet aggression
• Chinese forces ambush Soviet border patrol near Zhenbao Island in eastern USSR

• August 1969
- Another border conflict occurs in Xinjiang

• September 1969

• Talks held in Beijing to reassure both sides that neither country wanted war
• Talks didn’t adequately improve relations
• Mao remained insecure and began improving relations with US

Question 23

When did USSR station military forces in Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan?

Answer 23

• February 1967

Question 24

When did Chinese forces ambush Soviet border patrol near Zhenbao Island in eastern USSR?

Answer 24

• March 1969

Question 25

When did border disputes occur in Xinjiang?

Answer 25

• August 1969

Question 26

When did talks in Beijing occur to reassure both sides that they didn’t want war?

Answer 26

• September 1969

Question 27

Deng Xiaoping

Answer 27

• Leader of China between 1978 and 1992
• Commented on Sino-Soviet split: ‘The basic problem was that the Chinese were not treated as equals and felt humiliated.’

Question 28

Who became leader of China after Mao and in what years did they lead?

Answer 28

• Deng Xiaoping

- Between 1978 and 1992

Question 29

Timeline of events impacting relations with China

Answer 29

• 1950
- Sino-Soviet alliance formed

• 1958
- China provoke US by bombing Taiwanese-held islands of Quemoy and Matsu

• 1959
- USSR indirectly supports India in border dispute with China

• 1960

• Sino-Soviet split begins
• USSR remove Soviet technology experts from China

• 1962
- USSR places nuclear missiles on Cuba without notifying China

• July 1963
- Talks between China and USSR break down

• 1964

• China calls for return of historically Soviet occupied territories e.g pieces of Siberia
• Malinovsky Incident

• October 1964
- Khrushchev ousted

• April 1965
- Khrushchev calls for joint meeting with China and North Vietnam to form collective response to US escalation of Vietnam War

• 1966
- Chinese Cultural Revolution begins

• February 1967
- USSR station military forces in Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan

• 1969
- Mao calls on army to end Chinese Cultural Revolution

• March 1969
- Chinese forces ambush Soviet border patrol near Zhenbao Island in eastern USSR

• August 1969
- Border conflict occurs in Xinjiang

• September 1969

• Talks held in Beijing to reassure both sides that neither country wanted war
• Talks didn’t adequately improve relations
• Mao remained insecure and began improving relations with US

• 1976
- Mao dies

• 1978-1992
- Deng Xiaoping is leader of China