This is an extremely complicated event that really was one of the most unfortunate events in history, that can really be chalked up to the skill and deviousness of US foreign policy in the 60s to exploit the respectively “rightist” and “leftist” streaks of the USSR and the PRC in the 60s.
Kruschev, with his vile denunciation of Stalin, and his courting of the US and the west, really soured relations with china, who at that time, had a dominant ultraleft tendency in power, during the cultural revolution. The PRC also felt that the USSR was being overly domineering of socialist movements, while still courting western favor, even to the point of calling them “social imperialist”… a completely unfounded claim, and coming from a time of ultraleft denunciations… kinda similar to how the communist party of the phillipines calls china imperialist now.
Both had legitimate grievances, but instead of solving their problems, the USSR pulled all advisers and engineers out of the country, and even several border skirmishes were fought between the two countries. Mao then began the process of opening up, which once the gang of four and the ultra leftists were kicked out, continues to this day. The USSR and eastern bloc remained isolated, and stagnated due to the arms race, while china continued its upward trend.
I personally can’t take a side because both had ultra right and left deviations that were inappropriate to the time. It would have been best for both to maintain good relations, and not de-link from the world economy like the USSR.
This is an extremely complicated event that really was one of the most unfortunate events in history, that can really be chalked up to the skill and deviousness of US foreign policy in the 60s to exploit the respectively “rightist” and “leftist” streaks of the USSR and the PRC in the 60s.
Kruschev, with his vile denunciation of Stalin, and his courting of the US and the west, really soured relations with china, who at that time, had a dominant ultraleft tendency in power, during the cultural revolution. The PRC also felt that the USSR was being overly domineering of socialist movements, while still courting western favor, even to the point of calling them “social imperialist”… a completely unfounded claim, and coming from a time of ultraleft denunciations… kinda similar to how the communist party of the phillipines calls china imperialist now.
Both had legitimate grievances, but instead of solving their problems, the USSR pulled all advisers and engineers out of the country, and even several border skirmishes were fought between the two countries. Mao then began the process of opening up, which once the gang of four and the ultra leftists were kicked out, continues to this day. The USSR and eastern bloc remained isolated, and stagnated due to the arms race, while china continued its upward trend.
I personally can’t take a side because both had ultra right and left deviations that were inappropriate to the time. It would have been best for both to maintain good relations, and not de-link from the world economy like the USSR.