Sino-Soviet Split: The possibility of real conflict?

[Player 0]

Just googling for any news on Henry Kissinger and found various articles dedicated towards bashing him and his policies, though I didn't take any of these seriously for obvious reasons, they raised some questions that I thought would be interesting if discussed here, feel free to delete this thread though if a pre-existing thread has covered this topic already more effectively.

Anyway as the thread title asks, what were the chances of an all-out war occurring between the Soviet Union and China during the era of the Sino-Soviet split? Was it greatly exaggerated or a real possibility of conflict as much as any major 'flashpoint' of the cold war? Please try and avoid country bashing, jingoism or any disruptive activities that would result in this thread's closure.

 

[SampanViking]

I always thought it was low to be honest and that Mao saw the repudiation of Stalin as more of a domestic issue rather than a diplomatic one. I doubt if either side saw any real merit in war with the other, even thought the fear of it was quite real.

 

[broadsword]

I think it was greatly exaggerated because an all out war would have given the US more advantage during the cold war between the two superpowers even though there were murmurs of using nuclear weapons on the side of the Soviet Union. Use of nuclear weapons were only uttered in anger and would not be taken to mean any real intention of using them.

Bear in mind that the conflict was only along the border and China being much weaker was not posing any real threat to the Soviet Union unlike the US. Mao's army was not on a march to Moscow. There was no necessity to ratchet up the tension between the communist brothers and cast communism as a failure.

But after the two communist giants started to get cozy with each other, westerners, particularly the press love to invent news of discord between them.

 

[Player 0]

So in the context we've discussed though, if the USSR didn't present a serious existential threat to PRC in nuclear war or conquest, does that imply that the USSR was more content to not waste its resources directly and engage or tie up China in proxy conflicts with pro-Soviet regimes in Asia such as in Vietnam or during the Korean war?

 

[broadsword]

USSR was more content to not waste its resources directly and engage or tie up China in proxy conflicts with pro-Soviet regimes in Asia such as in Vietnam or during the Korean war?

Their common enemy and bigger threat than either of them at that time was the US and not the least of which was to have its military at their doorsteps. That is, until Nixon came knocking on China's door with a bouquet of flowers.

 

[asif iqbal]

Their common enemy and bigger threat than either of them at that time was the US and not the least of which was to have its military at their doorsteps. That is, until Nixon came knocking on China's door with a bouquet of flowers.

well not as fairy tale as u say, but it was pakistan also which helped mediate the talks between Washington and Beijing

 

[suby68]

I agree the split was overreported. Also for Moscow it would have been difficult to fight China in the Far East as only one railway line was available to ship supplies. For China on the other side there was not much to win in an open conflict as Moscow or any other significant center was out of reach for the PLA.

Therefore a border incident from time to time did help to make the other side look bad but none of the two wanted a big conflict to happen.

 

[Spartan95]

Anyway as the thread title asks, what were the chances of an all-out war occurring between the Soviet Union and China during the era of the Sino-Soviet split? Was it greatly exaggerated or a real possibility of conflict as much as any major 'flashpoint' of the cold war? Please try and avoid country bashing, jingoism or any disruptive activities that would result in this thread's closure.

From what little I have read about the issue, Deng Xiaoping thought there was a real possibility of war with USSR, particularly during the Sino-Vietnam War of 1979.

At that time, Vietnam was an ally of USSR. And it was attacking Cambodia due to the genocide of Vietnamese in Cambodia by the murderous Khmer Rouge which ruled Cambodia. As it happens, Cambodia was an ally of PRC.

As Cambodia was doing badly in the war with Vietnam, it appealed to PRC for help, which resulted in the Sino-Vietnam War of 1979. There are various other reasons quoted for the outbreak of the Sino-Vietnam War that I will not go into since quite a bit were for propaganda purposes (likely to lead to country-bashing).

The decision for PRC to go to war with Vietnam was not taken lightly as it risks pulling USSR into the war on the side of Vietnam. Hence, in preparation, PRC reinforced its borders with USSR with a lot of forces.

When the Sino-Vietnam War eventually broke out in 1979, Vietnam lost a lot of territory to the PLA. Hence, they appealed to USSR for help. However, to avoid risking nuclear war and also weaken its position in the Cold War stand-off with US, USSR did not intervene militarily.

Anyway, the Sino-Vietnam War lasted 1 month at which point, the PLA pulled out saying that their objectives of the war had been met.

 

[montyp165]

From what little I have read about the issue, Deng Xiaoping thought there was a real possibility of war with USSR, particularly during the Sino-Vietnam War of 1979.

At that time, Vietnam was an ally of USSR. And it was attacking Cambodia due to the genocide of Vietnamese in Cambodia by the murderous Khmer Rouge which ruled Cambodia. As it happens, Cambodia was an ally of PRC.

As Cambodia was doing badly in the war with Vietnam, it appealed to PRC for help, which resulted in the Sino-Vietnam War of 1979. There are various other reasons quoted for the outbreak of the Sino-Vietnam War that I will not go into since quite a bit were for propaganda purposes (likely to lead to country-bashing).

The decision for PRC to go to war with Vietnam was not taken lightly as it risks pulling USSR into the war on the side of Vietnam. Hence, in preparation, PRC reinforced its borders with USSR with a lot of forces.

When the Sino-Vietnam War eventually broke out in 1979, Vietnam lost a lot of territory to the PLA. Hence, they appealed to USSR for help. However, to avoid risking nuclear war and also weaken its position in the Cold War stand-off with US, USSR did not intervene militarily.

Anyway, the Sino-Vietnam War lasted 1 month at which point, the PLA pulled out saying that their objectives of the war had been met.

The Soviets were also planning military action in Afghanistan at the time too, so that may have factored into their decision making.

 

[broadsword]

From what little I have read about the issue, Deng Xiaoping thought there was a real possibility of war with USSR, particularly during the Sino-Vietnam War of 1979.

But there was no real possibility of an all out war. All along, there were only border skirmishes involving artillery duels and that was the message and intent. But of course, it would be foolhardy for any leader not to prepare for any contingencies.