The decisive years in Sino-Soviet relations, 1962-1963

This thesis is a study of Sino-Soviet relations during the crucial years when the two countries openly became enemies. The paper first gives the genesis of the differences between the two communist giants. It shows that there were a variety of factors, interacting through the years, that eventaully made the split public. It then proceeds to cover the events that occurred in 1962-1963. The analysis of these events shows that they were the stimuli in provoking the final breakdown of relations between the two countries. The paper finds that in the course of the two years, Sino-Soviet differences had been escalating. Each country reproached the other and encouraged its supporters to follow suit. As a result, the split was not simply a matter of Sino-Soviet concern, but affected all communist parties in the world. The paper concludes that the split was inevitable largely because the alliance itself was unnatural. What had happened during the two years, 1962 to 1963, exerted a push towards the open break. The paper also hypothesizes that in the near future there will not be any substantial changes in Sino-Soviet relations because there is little common ground from which the leaders can work toward a genuine reconciliation.