Soviet Union And China Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Soviet Union And China?
The Soviet Union and China had a complex relationship that began in the early 1950s and lasted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite previously being allies during World War II, tensions between both countries increased due to ideological differences, as well as their competing interests in pursuing hegemonic goals within their respective regions. The Sino-Soviet split resulted in several confrontations between both countries during the Cold War, including a brief border war between 1969 and 1971. The Soviet Union saw China as a threat to its own ambitions for global hegemony, as it viewed Mao’s government as dangerous to its own rule and detrimental to Western containment efforts. On the other hand, Mao believed that Soviet leaders were not properly respecting Chinese autonomy or independence. These factors combined with mutual distrust led to an often tense relationship throughout much of this period. At first, relations were relatively cordial with Stalin viewing China as a potential ally against US imperialism while Mao looked towards Moscow for support and recognition of his regime’s legitimacy at home. However tensions soon arisen due to ideological differences over how post-war international politics should be conducted; while Moscow sought more centralized control over Eastern Europe and advocated collective security measures via international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), Beijing pushed for non-interference policies which would allow Communist states more autonomy from Moscow’s influence. This disagreement ultimately led to an open split by 1960 with each side accusing each other of revisionism or betraying Marxist-Leninist ideals respectively. In addition, economic competition also played an important role in worsening relations; Beijing refused economic aid from Moscow after 1958 citing Chinese self-reliance while also seeking closer ties with Western nations for trade purposes further straining ties between both nations. This strategy paid off eventually when Nixon visited Beijing in 1972 leading up to normalized diplomatic relations between both states by 1979 although much tension remained until Gorbachev’s reforms opened up greater cooperation during his tenure which ended with the collapse of the USSR itself two years later ending any major conflict between these two powers.