Sino-Soviet Relations Flashcards
When did China become Communist?
Oct 1949
What was Mao & Stalin’s relationship like?
Mao regarded Stalin as the Father of Communism
When was the Treaty of Friendship?
February 1950
Outline 3 key agreements of the treaty
1) Military alliance
2) Mutual Assistance - sharing trade & knowledge
3) Friendship - the USSR granted aid to China
How much was the loan the USSR gave China?
$300 MILLION
What was the impact of the Treaty of Friendship on China?
1) China became economically modernised
2) 6 fold increase in Sino-Soviet Trade 1950-1956
3) 1956 - 60% of Chinese trade conducted with the USSR
4) 38000 chinese workers were given vocational training
In 1949 did the USA have a strategic interest in China?
No - AUgust 5th 1949 it was confirmed by the USA
What did Dean Acheson state in 1950?
January 1950 - no plans to offer military protection to Korea or Taiwan from communism
What debate was created by the China Lobby in the USA?
They blamed Truman for the loss of China
Outline USA support in Taiwan
US provided military support for Taiwan during the 17th Fleet to prevent Chinese invasion
Who initiated US Taiwan intervention?
Truman
How did the USA support the Philippines?
Melby agreed to support Philippines against Communism
How did the USA support France?
Offer financial to support for French to fight against Communists
When was the Korean War?
June 1950
What was Stalin’s role in the Korean War
A very little role in the Korean war taking a back seat
How many troops did China send?
270000
What was China’s role in the Korean War
Supplied troops
What did the Korean War do to China?
Drained China’s financial resources & made them dependant on SU
What did the Korean War demonstrate about the China?
They had the courage & expertise persuading USSR that they were a useful ally
What did the Korean War do?
Consolidate Sino-Soviet relations
What aid followed the Korean War for China from USSR?
Package of aid for China’s first 5 year plan
Helped China build power plants
Lushan Naval base handed to CHina
Increased trade with China
When was the Taiwan Crisis?
1954-1955
When did Mao bomb Taiwan?
1954
What did the US & Taiwan sign?
The Mutual Defence Treaty December 1954
What did the Mutual Defence Treaty state?
The US would defend Taiwan against Chinese or Soviet attack
Why did China want Taiwan?
Concerned that US would use Taiwan as base
What did Mao want?
To unite China under communism
What did Khrushchev publicly state?
They would retaliate if China was attacked by US
What did Khrushchev make clear in private?
He did not want to be involved in Taiwan Crisis
Why was the Soviet response significant?
it showed that the USSR were unwilling to help China achieve their military goals & Khrushchev worried that mao’s ill foreign policy could lead to NUCLEAR WAR.
When was the 2nd Taiwan Crisis?
1958
What did the US provide Taiwan with?
Matador Missile
Where did Mao bombard to up pressure?
Quemoy & Matsu
Why was China forced to back down?
Due to lack of support from the SU
Why was their personal mistrust between Mao & Khrushchev?
Mao had little respect for Khrushchev after his secret speech in 1956 believing he was nothing more than a timid bureaucrat
What did Mao argue?
That Khrushchev was a dangerous revisionist
Why were the SU and China divided over nuclear arms?
Mao was willing to see half the world die in order to advance communism
What did Mao view Khrushchev’s commitment to Peaceful Coexistence as?
Betraying communism
Why did Khrushchev refuse to help China with Nuclear Arms?
He was horrified by Mao’s willingness to use nuclear weapons
What did Khrushchev offer as an alternative?
A radio which could monitor US submarines
How did Mao take this gesture?
Patronising believing it was a cat & mouse relationship on the SU’s part
What did Mao introduce in 1958?
The Great Leap Forward
What did the Great Leap Forward do?
It rejected USSR’s model of economic development
Why was the Great Leap Forward a rejection of USSR’s economic model?
USSR- focussed on the working class CHINA - focus on the peasants
What did Mao set out to do in August 1958?
To deliberately humiliate Khrushchev on his first visit to China
How did Mao intend to humiliate Khrushchev?
Swimming pool photo shoot - when he knew Khrushchev could not swim
When did Khrushchev visit China again?
1959
What happened at Khrushchev’s 2nd visit to China?
No honor guard was presented no microphone - Mao & Khrushchev openly cursed each other & Khrushchev rhymed Chinese names with Russian obscenities which outraged Mao
What happened in May 1960
China beat USSR to Mount Everest
How did the USA respond to building tensions?
The USA were still ignorant to building tensions between the USSR and China
What did Khrushchev do in July 1960
Withdrew Russian experts helping on the Great Leap Forward
What did Mao do in 1963?
Mao announced that Khrushchev backed down to the Cuban Missile Crisis
What did Khrushchev do in 1959?
Publicly criticised the Great Leap Forward
What were the ideological differences between Mao & Khrushchev?
K - Class struggle was over in the USSR
M- New type of Communism focussed on personal interests
What did Mao describe Khrushchev’s communism as?
Phoney
What did the Sino-Indian Border Conflict in 1962 expose?
Divisions between USSR & China
What did Khrushchev do to his ally?
Publicly criticise him over the involvement stating that the dispute should have been settled peacefully
What did Khrushchev do for India?
Signalled support by providing $800 million worth of aid
Who else did Khrushchev also back?
Indonesia during Sino-Indonesian disputes by sending military aid
What happened in 1964 in China
They tested their first nuclear weapon
What did Brezhnev attempt to do?
Create a relationship between USSR & China
What did Mao launch in 1965
Cultural Revolution
What did Mao refer to the US and USSR as?
Global cities whereas CHina was the global countryside “the real revolutionaries”
What happened in March 1966?
China & USR finally ended diplomatic trade
What happened on 2 March 1969
A full scale dispute over Zhen Bao/Damanskii with a MASSIVE Soviet Counterattack March 15th
What happened 18th September 1969?
Crisis averted & senior ministers from both sides agreed to respect each other’s borders
What did the Sino-Soviet split do to the USSR?
Weakened the USSR providing opportunity for the USA
Chinese Motives for Rapprochement
- Mao was worried about reports of pre-emptive Soviet nuclear attack
- 1969 China had very few allies ( France Pakistan & Albania)
- Mao hoped an alliance with USA could be used against USSR
US Motives for Rapprochement
- Nixon hoped he could persuade China to put pressure on the Vietcong to negotiate peaceful settlement
- Nixon wanted to exploit Sino-Soviet split to put pressure on SU to compromise with the West
- Vietnam War demonstrated that the US Military were not as effective as hoped - Nixon wanted to make up for US failures
- Nixon wanted to stop Soviet invasion of China because he did not want China to become a Russian Satellite
- Nixon hoped a friendship with China meant they could direct all nuclear arsenal to USSR
What was ping pong diplomacy?
Term given to negotiations between China & USA s the first signs of friendship was a ping pong match between the two national teams (April 1971)
What did Nixon do in July 1969?
Relax travel restrictions to China
What happened in July 1971?
Kissinger visited China to arrange a secret presidential visit
Why was ping pong diplomacy kept a secret?
National Pride - No guarantee that relations would be fruitful
Domestic Opinion - China & USA used propaganda against each other 1949-1969
Taiwan - USA had a long standing agreement to protect the Taiwan against China
What did Zhou Enlai & Kissinger agree on?
Presidential Visit February 1972
What was Nixon’s policy known as that ford continued?
Triangular Diplomacy
Triangular Diplomacy - USA
Stable relationships rather that confrontation
Triangular Diplomacy - USSR
USSR would be afraid of Sino-US relations so they would remain friendly towards USA
Triangular Diplomacy - CHINA
Supported Mao in the battle for independence against USSR
When was the Shanghai Communique?
28th February 1972
What did the Shanghai Communique include?
Acknowledge substantial disagreements over Korea Vietnam & Taiwan
Committed USA & China to a relationship of peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect
USA & China would normalise relations - formal diplomatic links
Two superpowers would work together to resist any country that sought to dominate South East Asia eg. USSR
Committed the USA and China to increase co-operation & trade
What was the impact of Sino-US relations on USSR?
1969 USSR were monitoring the Sino-US relations
Divided their military resources for a war on two fronts
Aware that USA would focus nuclear strategy on USSR
China might persuade USA to abandon Detente
Sino-Us relations after Nixon
Ford was not as strong as Nixon so he was not in a position to compromise on sensitive issues however he consolidated the relationship between USA & USSR in 1975 on his visit.
