The Causes Of The Sino-Soviet Schism 1927-1969

Essay, Research Paper

Causes and Elevation of the Sino-Soviet Schism 1927-1969

It can be argued that the most significant effect on foreign policy during the Cold

War, besides the arms race, was the schism and eventually antagonism between the USSR

and China. Some historians have argued that the schism between the USSR continued to

elevate throughout the Cold War. Alvin Z. Rubenstien, in his book “Soviet Foreign Policy

Since World War II” makes the argument that “The Sino-Soviet rift is more complex

today [Rubenstien wrote his book in 1985] than ever before.” (Rubenstien, 148) Some

historians argue that the schism has continued to grow long after the end of the 1960’s.

Other argue that the schism had reached its climax by 1965, when both nations almost

completely broke off relations with one another. By 1965 the schism between the USSR

and the Soviet Union was complete and it had become a policy between the two nations to

pursue antagonistic policies against one another. (Nogee, 256-61)

After the end of the second World War it was a goal of Stalin and the Soviet

Union to encourage, and even coordinate, the rise of communist regimes in other

countries. (Salisbury, 33-7) But this was not the case in China, where the Soviets were not

able to incite a communist revolution. Instead, Mao Zedong carried out a communist

revolution that was independent of Soviet influence. (Nogee, 199) This, of course,

irritated the Soviets and cause them to oppose the People’s Republic of China for about

the first fifteen years of its existence. Many historians feel that this was the first of the

many Sino-Soviet disputes- the mere fact that China was able to engender a communist

regime. (Simmons, 17)

In 1927 the Soviets had unsuccessfully tried to incite a communist revolution in

China, this attempt not only failed but brought the deaths of thousands of Chinese

communists and the expulsion of Soviets from China. After this failure the Soviets refused

to invest anymore time into the Chinese cause. The Soviets even joined the United States

in support of the nationalist (and anticommunist) government “in unifying their country

[China], improving their military and economic conditions.” (Warth, 56-9). Even after a

Mao, a communist, had taken power Stalin seemed reluctant to cut ties with the head of

the nationalist government, Chiang Kai-Shek. This reluctance of Stalin’s led China to

distrust the motives of the Soviet Union, espicially in the 1950’s when the USSR asked

China to help North Korea in the Korean War. (Westard, 36-7)

Some historians claim that the roots of the hostility between the Russian and the

Chinese an be traced back to the thirteenth and fourteenth century when Mongol Tartars

conquered most of Russia. During the nineteenth century Russian tsars conquered large

parts of China and imposed unfair treaties on the Chinese empire. (Salisbury, 48-50) With

this new information in mind, combined with the shaky start of Sino-Soviet relations, it

become more understandable that two neighboring nations, both with similar ideologies,

might not have completely affable relations.. The first indication of cooperation between

the USSR and communist China was in February 1950 when China and the Soviet Union

negotiated the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Alliance. A portion of this treaty dealt with a loan of

300 million dollars at one percent interest to the Chinese by the Soviets. This miserly loan

left the Chinese resentful. Only a few months before the loan was made to the Chinese the

Soviets had given a 450 million dollar loan to Poland at no interest. Moreover, the

Chinese needed the money to fight the Korean War, a conflict which Stalin had asked the

Chinese to support. Mao did not have complete confidence in the North Korean cause but

he finally consented his aid on behalf of Stalin and Kim Il Sung, the leaders of the North

Korean Communists. The Chinese had felt that the Korean War was a common struggle

with the Soviet Unions and the USSR’s attempt to profit (the USSR had charged 1%

interest on the loan) was uncalled for and an insult to the Chinese government. (Nogee,

261-5) There were a few reasons that the Soviet Union gave China such a scanty loan. In

some ways the USSR was still unsure on where they stood in China because they had not

engineered the rebellion there. This was also before China decided to help in the Korean

War and the USSR was unsure of the motives of China. They knew that they would not be

able to control China like they controled contries in the East European Bloc.

The schism between the USSR and China has occurred in three phases in the post-

Stalin Cold War period. The first phase is roughly 1956 to 1960. In this period the Soviets

and the Chinese were on relitivly good terms. Differences that arose between the two

nations were expressed in an understanding and receptive manner, however these cordial

relations began to

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