MR SPENCE HISTORY
Cold War Leaders and Nations
Key Content
• Impact of two leaders on the course and development of the Cold War.
• The economic impact of the Cold War on two countries
• The social and cultural impact of the Cold War on two countries.
​​
Our first Cold War leader will be Mao Zedong who of course we are also using as one of our case studies for Authoritarian states. Our focus on Mao will be in three areas. Alongside the focus of the unit on his impact on the course and development of the Cold War we will also examine how successful his foreign policy was in supporting his authoritarian rule. The Sino-Soviet split and the US-Chinese rapprochement are separate components of the Cold War unit, but we will examine them here whilst studying Mao.
​
Chinese success in the Korean War in fighting the UN troops to a stalemate was a significant propaganda boost, with the CCP demonstrating their ability to end China's 'century of humiliation' by foreign powers. However, many believed China should be focussing on rebuilding after decades of war rather than involving itself in a foreign conflict. The eventual armistice in Korea and participation in the 1954 Geneva accords seemingly indicated a transition towards international respectability for China. However, Mao believed domestic credibility required the unification of China and in late 1954 he shelled the Taiwanese held islands of Quemoy and Matsu. This incident along with similar events in 1958 could be used as a case study for a Cold War crisis. But we will cover other flashpoints in more detail later in the course.
​
One Cold War development that few would have expected was the Sino-Soviet split that began in 1958. Often attributed to Mao's anger at Khrushchev's 1956 denunciation of Stalin, we will argue that it instead represented the Chinese leaders desire to discredit potential opponents as he implemented the leftist Great Leap Forward and intensified the development of People's Communes. Another surprising development connected to the Sino-Soviet split was the move by both Mao and the US President, Richard Nixon, to begin the process of normalising relations between the two countries. We will focus on why both sides sought a rapprochement, how it was facilitated, and who benefitted from the change in the the shift in international relationships. Lastly, we will look at an important area often overlooked by students in their exams; Maoism in Africa. In particular we will investigate whether the enormous amount of Chinese aid undermined the Western presence on the continent.
​
​
Mao and the Cold War
Potential IA Questions
How unified was the CCP leadership in supporting Chinese intervention in Korea?
How far did Korea solidify Mao's authoritarian state?
How far did Stalin's death facilitate the end of the Cold War?
How far did the Korean War prevent the annexation of Taiwan?
How far did the election of Eisenhower facilitate the end of the Cold War?
How much blame should Mao absorb for the prolonged stalemate in Korea?
How far was US overconfidence/Chinese prowess responsible for their withdrawals in the Winter of 1950/51 ?
 How far did the USA/China abide by the Geneva Conventions during the Korean War?
How far was technological inferiority responsible for China's failure to achieve victory in the Korean War?
 How far did the Korean War stymie China's economic development?
How far did Kim il Sung listen to Mao's directives?
How serious a threat to world peace was the First or Second Quemoy and Matsu crisis?
How far did domestic considerations influence Mao's decision to bombard Quemoy and Matsu in 1954/58?
How deep was the personal enmity between Khrushchev and Mao?
How far does Khrushchev's denouncement of Stalin explain the Sino-Soviet split?
How far was Khrushchev responsible for the Sino-Soviet split/disagreements at the Bucharest Conference?
How far does the failure of the Great Leap Forward explain the Sino-Soviet split?
How far did the USSR support China during the Second Quemoy and Matsu crisis?
Who gained the most from the Second Quemoy and Matsu crisis?
How far was New Zealand responsible for solving the Second Quemoy and Matsu crisis?
How damaging was the withdrawal of Soviet aid and advisors for China?
Why did Khrushchev choose rapprochement with the West over improving relations with Mao?
Why did Khrushchev back India in its 1960 border dispute with China?
How far was the Cultural Revolution responsible for the Sino-Soviet split?
How close was the Zhenbao Island incident to sparking a full scale war in 1969?
How far was the Cultural Revolution responsible for Mao seeking better relations with the USA?
How far was the Vietnam war responsible for Nixon normalising relations with China?
How much credit should Kissinger/Zhou Enlai take for Nixon's visit to China?
Who benefited the most from Nixon's visit to China?
How concerning was Nixon's visit to China for the USSR?
How far did Enver Hoxha embrace Maoism?
How far did Julius Nyerere embrace Communism?
How far did China's foreign aid programmes achieve their aims?
How important was Chinese aid to Mugabe's ZANU fighters?
​