What caused the loudest split in the socialist camp: How China and the USSR quarreled

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Relations between the Soviet Union and the Chinese did not develop smoothly and evenly. Even in the 1940s, when the military potential of Mao Zedong depended on the amount of Stalinist aid, his supporters fought against everyone they saw as a conduit of Moscow influence. On June 24, 1960, at a meeting of the Communist Parties in Bucharest, the delegations of the USSR and the PRC publicly exposed each other to open criticism. This day is considered to be the final split in the camp of the recent allies, which soon led to local armed clashes.

Post-war friendship and strategic partnership

After the Japanese surrender, the Chinese communists went into a stormy war against the Kuomintang (National Democrats). After Mao's victory and the establishment of communist rule over the entire Chinese territory, a period of friendship between the Land of the Soviets and the PRC began. At the end of World War II, relations within the anti-Hitler coalition deteriorated sharply, and another global war loomed. Under these conditions, the human resource of densely populated China would have come in handy for Stalin. Therefore, seeing China as an important potential ally, the USSR initiated colossal support for Mao.

Over the course of several years, Moscow has provided the Chinese with a series of loans on favorable terms, and has built hundreds of large industrial enterprises with full equipment in China. The Soviet side handed over to the partner Port Arthur, Dalny and even the Chinese-Eastern Railway returned with a victory over the Japanese. The press of both states was full of headlines about the eternal friendship of the Russian with the Chinese, and the communist camp was not yet such a powerful threat to its enemy. But everything collapsed, unable to withstand political ambitions.

Stalin's death and dislike for the new leader

The death of Comrade Stalin corrected relations between states. The Kremlin was now ruled by Khrushchev, whom Mao did not see as a revolutionary leader like himself. Having lost competition in the person of Joseph Vissarionovich, Mao felt exclusively himself as the leader of the socialist camp. Khrushchev was not particularly familiar with ideological issues, and Mao even formed a new communist trend - Maoism. In addition, Khrushchev was younger, and age in Eastern culture played an important role. Mao did not plan to obey Khrushchev. Maoism became the ideal ideology for exporting to impoverished Asian countries. At the forefront of Mao were the poorest peasants who could suppress the bourgeois cities. For the USSR, the strengthening of the Chinese did not look tempting, and Moscow took up the sticks in the wheels.

At the same time, China still needed help, wanting to get a "recipe" for an atomic bomb from Khrushchev. Mao did not yet have the scientific and technical potential to independently develop atomic weapons, so Moscow's assistance remained a defining moment. Thousands of Soviet nuclear scientists were at Chinese facilities, so it was too early to quarrel. One cannot but take into account the concern of the Chinese leader about the condemnation of Stalin's activities on behalf of the new Soviet elite. Talking with the Soviet ambassador to the PRC, Yudin, Mao warned that by such actions the Russian government was raising a stone that would soon fall at their feet.

Mao's New Strategy and the Demand for Nuclear War

By the mid-1950s, Mao Zedong's strategy had changed dramatically. Prior to this period, he courteously thanked the USSR for any help and the slightest support. Now he demanded. In particular, the Chinese leader insisted on speeding up the transfer of nuclear technologies to the PRC. Khrushchev initially met halfway, but quickly slowed down the process, fearing the strengthening of China and the withdrawal of the insidious Mao from under the hood. The second number of the Chinese leader requested the creation of a nuclear submarine fleet, which is called "turnkey", and on condition of full Chinese control. The Kremlin, of course, could not agree to this. In addition, Mao wished to take possession of Mongolia and repeatedly raised this issue for discussion. But Mongolia continued to remain in the zone of Soviet influence.

Despite the deepening divergence of interests, Mao remained friendly for some time by visiting Moscow. On the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, the Chinese leader spoke of a nuclear war that would destroy capitalism and imperialism on the planet. Khrushchev, however, announced a course for the peaceful coexistence of capitalism with socialism. For Mao, this was a signal that the new Soviet formation was losing power.

The final split and the new enemy of the USSR

Mao began to test the strength of his neighbors. It all started with two armed clashes in Taiwan, which went down in history as the 1st and 2nd Taiwan crises. But Taiwan had the support of the United States, so the war did not take place. Next came India's turn, with which border armed clashes were initiated. Sino-Indian clashes were not at all part of Moscow's plans, because neutral Delhi was viewed as a counterweight to the growing China. The USSR harshly condemned the actions of Mao, who has now passed into the category of uncontrollable. The transfer of nuclear technology was frozen.

In response to disagreement with the PRC's policy. In April 1960, Chinese newspapers published a number of articles openly criticizing the Soviet leadership. Irritated by such an attack, Khrushchev ordered to recall all technical specialists from the PRC in a matter of days. De-energized Chinese factories symbolized the beginning of a new phase - 20 years of open hostility between the communist empires. From eternal friends, the USSR and China turned into the first enemies. The conflict flared up, disgruntled demonstrations rang around the USSR embassy around the clock. China has identified claims to the Far East and southern Siberia. As a result, there was a loud clash on Damansky Island, which cost dozens of lives.

The conflict reached serious proportions, and in China they began to build bomb shelters, create food warehouses, and buy weapons from the West. The USSR, in turn, accelerated the construction of defense facilities on the border, the formation of additional military formations and sharply increased defense spending. Only with the death of Mao did the countries embark on the path of reconciliation, building once brilliantly established ties from scratch.

Still interesting what secrets the flooded Chinese city keeps.