Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Soviet Union was on the brink of launching a nuclear attack against China in 1969 and only backed down after the US told Moscow such a move would start World War Three, according to a Chinese historian.
I had known there were military clashes between the Soviet Union and China that year, and that the Nixon administration had warned the Soviets not to attack the Chinese. I hadn't heard that a specific nuclear attack had been planned. Interesting.
I'd take this all with a grain of salt. The article isn't very clear on exactly what circumstances the Soviets would commit a nuclear strike. "Plans to use nuclear weapons" means nothing at all. All countries have "plans" for various contingencies. The US had plans to deploy nukes in German cities during the Cold War (without even telling the Germans AFAIR). The Pentagon has a plan for "The Day after Tomorrow" scenario. Means nothing.
I'd take this all with a grain of salt. The article isn't very clear on exactly what circumstances the Soviets would commit a nuclear strike. "Plans to use nuclear weapons" means nothing at all. All countries have "plans" for various contingencies. The US had plans to deploy nukes in German cities during the Cold War (without even telling the Germans AFAIR). The Pentagon has a plan for "The Day after Tomorrow" scenario. Means nothing.
The Soviets broke their Pact of Friendship with Mao's China in 1960 when the Chinese started to press the Soviets in the name of socialist solidarity for technical assistance in building nuclear weapons and long range missiles. The Chinese surprised everyone by testing an atomic bomb in 1964 and a thermonuclear bomb in 1967. China also tested IRBMs and in 1970 lauched a earth orbiting satellite. The Soviets viewed China's drive to build nuclear weapons as a direct existental threat to their national security much like some view Iran's efforts to build the same sort of weapons. By 1969 some in Soviet leadership believed it was now or never for the launch of a preemptive strike to destroy Chinese nuclear weapons and the facilities and personnel to to make them. If a Soviet strike was delayed the Chinese forces would be too strong and might be able to strike a crippling if not mortal blow to the USSR. Tensions were increased by a series of clashes and firefights along the USSR-China border. The nature of Soviet and Chinese contacts with the Americans is still clothed in secrecy but the US apparently told the Soviets it would not simply sit on the sidelines if a war broke out between the USSR and China. Afterwards, the US gave up its opposition to Beijing taking the Chinese seat in the UN and its Security Council. The Presidents National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger took a trip to Pakistan in 1971 where he had a dipolmatic illness and vanished for a few days. Apparently he made a trip over the hump to China and the result was a normalization of US-China relations and Nixon's trip to China in Feb. 1972. Something else that came out of this was the Soviets and Americans came to a detente and agreed to the first limits on their nuclear forces in the SALT 1 treaty. More liberal members of the Soviet leadership pulled their country back from the brink. Finally after both the Chinese and Soviets moved to improve their relations with the US, Dr. Kissinger started to make progress in his Paris negotiations with the North Vietnamese and came to a preliminary settlement in October 1972. All conicidental, eh. The events of the late 1960s between the USSR and China are a valuable study when considering the situation we face in dealing with Iran today.
At the time, was very skeptical about the supposed Sino-Soviet rift, and remain so to this day. My opinion has always been that it was a minor family squabble between the two communist giants, and was distorted out of proportion in order to mislead the West. Almost a nuclear strike in 1969 againt the ChiComs? Dont believe it. Why is this only now coming out, nearly 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
On 15 October 1969, he quotes Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin as telling Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev that Washington has drawn up "detailed plans" for a nuclear war against the USSR if it attacked China.
I have a hard time believing that Brezhnev replied by saying "Chyort voz'mi, Alexei, I never thought of that."
At the time, was very skeptical about the supposed Sino-Soviet rift, and remain so to this day. My opinion has always been that it was a minor family squabble between the two communist giants, and was distorted out of proportion in order to mislead the West. Almost a nuclear strike in 1969 againt the ChiComs? Dont believe it. Why is this only now coming out, nearly 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Well, I understand your point, but your argument only holds water if you think both the USSR and the PRC were really serious about world Communist revolution. Instead, once they achieved their internal political aims, both the Soviet and Chinese leadership pretty much pursued foreign policy grand strategies consistent with the Tsars and the Emperors. So really what you had were two large empires prepared to duke it out with one another. To this day, I'm not sure the Chinese don't covet enormous, underpopulated Siberia with its mineral riches.
On 15 October 1969, he quotes Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin as telling Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev that Washington has drawn up "detailed plans" for a nuclear war against the USSR if it attacked China.
I have a hard time believing that Brezhnev replied by saying "Chyort voz'mi, Alexei, I never thought of that."
Another part that I don't get is:
Quote:
That same day he says Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet ambassador to Washington, told Brezhnev something similar after consultations with US diplomats. "If China suffers a nuclear attack, they (the Americans) will deem it as the start of the third world war," Dobrynin said. "The Americans have betrayed us."
Betrayed? The USSR and the US weren't exactly best buddies at the time. So maybe poor choice of words?
mwruckman,
Thanks for the clarification
Though the claim that one side or another (in this case the Soviets) would commit to a first strike is a serious one. Like I said, simply having plans for one is no evidence at all of actually intending to launch it. For example, in May 1941 the Soviets had plans to invade Germany.
Well, I understand your point, but your argument only holds water if you think both the USSR and the PRC were really serious about world Communist revolution. Instead, once they achieved their internal political aims, both the Soviet and Chinese leadership pretty much pursued foreign policy grand strategies consistent with the Tsars and the Emperors. So really what you had were two large empires prepared to duke it out with one another. To this day, I'm not sure the Chinese don't covet enormous, underpopulated Siberia with its mineral riches.
In the 1960s Mao's China started a propaganda campaign against the Soviets to remind them that Czarist Russia had annexed nearly half a million square miles of Imperial China and was seeking to annex Manchuria to provide a better acess to the Pacific Ocean and an acess that was ice free. The original route of the Trans Siberian Railroad took it through Mongolia to Port Arthur on the coast of Manchuria. The 1905 Russo-Japan War happened because another rising power in the area Japan had the same idea in regards to Manchuria. After beating the Russians Japan took Port Arthur and started to work its way into Manchuria which it finished doing in 1931. The Chinese hinted that the USSR should correct an historical wrong against the Chinese people by giving back its illegally occupied territory.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
