The Sino-Soviet border clash of March 1969 signaled the militarization of the long standing conflict between two former ideological allies. Keywords : Sino-Soviet split, Vietnam War, Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong, Lenoid Brezhnev, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, detente The parallel devaluation of ideologyas a consequence of the Sino-Soviet split from 1965-1968 predisposed them to mutual toleration and understanding with Washington after 1969. From 1965, the Chinese leadership started alluding to the eventuality of rapprochement with the United States and downplaying the possibility of a direct Sino-American military confrontation over Vietnam.The Soviet Union, starting from late 1966, returned to the search for detente with the United States despite the warand became increasingly anxious to prevent a Sino-American rapprochement.
During the final collapse of the Sino- Soviet alliance from 1965-1968, China and the Soviet Union began to redefine the nature and immediacy of the American threat as being limited. However, there were subtle yet unmistakable shifts in the Chinese and Soviet positions towards the United States before the militarization of their conflict in 1969 set the Nixon Doctrine in motion.
Abstract The Sino-Soviet border clash and the Nixon Doctrine make the year 1969 a watershed period in Sino-American and Soviet American rapprochement.
0 kommentar(er)
