Sino‐Soviet Split

Abstract

In 1950, the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Soviet Union (USSR) formalized a political, economic, and military alliance. By 1962, this partnership had collapsed under a cloud of mutual acrimony, which gave way to a series of armed clashes seven years later that almost exploded into full‐blown war. The two nations split apart due to a host of factors. Chief among these were disputes over interpretations of Marxism and relationships with Western states, negative relationships between Chinese and Soviet officials, and the alliance's inherent inequality. From the day the treaty was signed, the Soviets treated China as their junior partner. China's long history of suffering under colonial rule left many Chinese officials angry at such treatment, as they thought it smacked of Russian imperialism. The split had major consequences for China and the USSR. Their shared rancor belied notions of communist unity as both states competed for the loyalties of international leftist movements. The former allies never officially reconciled.