These notes are a summarised version of China and the cold war
( Including China and tibet, China and India, China and the U.S, China and Vietnam and China and the Soviet Union) and are the perfect accompaniment to the prescribed textbook ( Focus/Spot on History). These notes provide a detailed ...
Before 1949, the cold war was between the two superpowers; the USSR and the U.S. Up until then
most of the cold war was in Europe. However, in 1949 the Communist Party in China took control
and thus set up a communist government (however this communist government is slightly different
as it focused on the peasants and industrialisation). Thus, the cold war was transformed and took on
a global dimension.
The U.S feared that if communism took root in China it would spread throughout Asia especially as
China was one of the biggest populations in the world. As a result, the U.S.A became involved in
Asia.
SO, WHAT DID CHINA DO AS A COMMUNIST COUNTRY?
Mao wanted to make China an industrial power.
He based his economic reforms on the Soviet Union’s Five-Year Plan which he introduced in 1953.
This increased growth in industry especially in coal and electric power and road and railway. This was
due to a lot of the Soviet Union’s help.
SOVIET UNION AND CHINA
BETWEEN 1949 TO 1969
Convergence:
1. The USSR and China both had a common belief in Communism.
2. They had both supported North Vietnam and North Korea in the Vietnam and Korean wars.
3. The Soviet Union supplied arms, equipment and technological aid to assist with China’s
modernisation.
Thus, when Mao’s party took power in China, Mao went to Moscow and began discussions. The
result was the Sino Soviet Treaty (1950). In this it was agreed that the USSR would loan China $3
billion with a low interest of 1%. Two countries would give each other military assistance if Japan or
any country supporting Japan showed signs of aggression. China would recognise the independence
of Outer Mongolia, and help china exploit metals, oils and gas.
This was very helpful to China and made the USSR a second partner. However, relations slowly broke
down between the two.
Divergence: (1953 to 1969)
1. After Stalin’s death in 1953, Mao wanted to be the leader of the world communist
movement and could not accept Khrushchev as the leader.
2. In addition to this Mao had been angered by Khrushchev’s actions: the speech that was
leaked in 1956 where Khrushchev condemned the cult of personality under Stalin. This
angered Mao who had formed his own cult of personality. The policy of peaceful co-
existence with the west also angered Mao who disagreed with the imperialistic capitalist
west- a natural enemy of communism.
3. The Soviet Union was critical of the Great leap forward movement believing it not to be
fundamentally in line with Marxism or Leninism and China accused the Soviet Union of
allowing a rich bourgeoise to develop in Russia.
4. Russia and China supported different liberation movements in South Africa. PAC- China,
ANC- Russia.
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