Sino-soviet Relations 1949-1976 Flashcards
When did Mao become leader and when did his reign end?
1949- 1976
What was the People’s Republic of China 1949?
Mao announced this following the communist success in the civil war
Communist Russia was the first state to recognise Maos communist government so they quickly signed a treaty of friendship
The Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance, February 1950
Reasons for this treaty:
- PRC were isolated from the West so they were in search of a powerful ally
Terms of the treaty:
1) ALLIANCE- a military alliance against capitalist nations- the USSR would come to China’s aid if they got into any conflicts
2) MUTUAL ASSISTANCE- the USSR and China agreed to trade
3) FRIENDSHIP- a loan of 300 million and equipment for 50 major projects
Why was this treaty between the USSR and China significant?
It allowed China to begin economic modernisation:
By 1956 60% of China’s trade was with the USSR
38 000 Chinese workers were given vocational training in Siberia
This laid the foundations for economic development in China
The significance of the Korean War for Sino-Soviet relations
- it consolidated the sino-soviet relationship
- the USSR refused to join the war as China’s ally but they agreed to sell advanced military hardware
- there were also 2 further agreements in 1953 and 1954- the USSR agreed to:
1) help China built power plants
2) more loans
3) hand over the Lushan naval base
4) increased trade
Confrontation over Taiwan
- After the Chinese Civil war nationalist forces set up a government in Taiwan
- this was key to Mao 1) it could be a future US base and 2) Mao wanted to unite China under communist leadership
- Mao launched 2 unsuccessful attempts to take over
- In 1954 a Mutual Defence Treaty was signed between US and Taiwan
- Khrushchev didn’t want to be involved- this is significant as it showed the USSR was unwilling to help China to achieve its military goals
Why was 1954-58 significant for Sino- Soviet relations?
- China began to emerge as an ideological rival to the USSR- it was no longer clear that they lead the communist world
- Maos was also less inclined in following new president Khrushchev as he did not back his aims on Taiwan and his reluctance to stand up to the US
The Great Leap Forward
- This policy was launched by Mao in 1958 which he claimed was superior to USSRs 5 year plans- this indicated that Mao was willing to forge his own route independently
- this policy rejected Soviet values- he wanted to distance himself from the USSR and undermine Khrushchevs leadership
China’s national and military interests
- during 1958 differences emerged between the USSR and China over nuclear arms and the position of Taiwan
- Khrushchev proposed an idea that China’s nuclear weapons could only be used with Soviet authorisation
- when China invaded Taiwan for a second time Khrushchev rejected to support as he felt this could cause nuclear war with the US
- this proved to Mao that Khrushchev was in favour of compromise with capitalism rather than revolution
Sino-Soviet relations in 1958
- by the end of 1958 they both remained allies as China needed the USSR for aid
- Khrushchev wanted to keep this relationship so they could have the upper hand in the Cold War
- it was a significant time as Mao wanted to compete to rule the communist world
Reasons for deterioration in Sino-Soviet relations
1) personal differences
2) ideological division
3) strategic and military issues
1) Personal Differences
- Khrushchev second visit to China was in 1959- at their meeting they openly insulted each other- in private Khrushchev made fun of the Chinese
- 1960 Mao to special pleasure in beating the Russians to the top of Everest
- Khrushchev removed all experts who were helping the Great Leap Forward
2) Ideological Division
- Khrushchev was publicly criticising the Great Leap Forward
- Mao said that the USSR was becoming a consumerist regime that was prepared to compromise with the West
Sino-Soviet relations after Khrushchev
- In 1964 Khrushchev was removed from power
- the new leader Brezhnev established a working relationship with Mao
- however in 1965 Mao launched a new campaign- the Cultural Revolution- he argued that US and the USSR were global cities and China and the third world were global country sides- this he argued where the true revolutionaries were
Full scale confrontation, 1968-9
- the cultural revolution relied on the new breed of soldier- Red guards
- they crossed the border in 1968 and Brezhnev responded by putting soldiers on the border
- the red guards occupied the island of Zhen Bao which each side was claiming was their territory- small scale fighting broke out
