Two Suns In The Heavens Summary

Picking up where I left off in Two Suns in the Heavens: The Sino-Soviet Struggle for Supremacy, 1962-1967. Radchenko was discussing the inconsistency of both the Soviet and Chinese policies during the Vietnam War. This conflict between the two ultimately lead to the Cultural Revolution. In early 1965, the National Liberation Front (NLF) of South Vietnam attacked a U.S base at Pleiku; eight U.S soldier lost their lives. This gave the U.S enough reason to retaliate against North Vietnam. As this war was beginning Kosygin was arriving in Hani to discuss their plans to offer aid and support I believe an important stage in this book is when Moscow decision to eagerly provide weapons and support to their clients, when Leonid Brezhnev stated, “[O]ur internationalist

While Kosygin was giving support and wanted the two countries to squash their differences and unite as one and support each other, Mao thought the exact opposite and encouraged the war when he says “The less you fear them [the Americans], the more they respect you. If China does not fear them, and if the Vietnamese people do not fear them, they will have to consider again and again before taking action” (141). I believe Mao was trying to instill in them what China dealt with and how they overcame their differences and became independent. China at first was getting stepped and picked on by nations/states that had a strong military and more developed, China eventually got tired of getting bullied and allied with the Soviets to gain military support. During 1966, the launch of Maos movement, the creation of the Red Guards. This increased violence, first at schools then continued to other public places. Mao stated “[O]ur young people do not have the experience of the revolutionary war, lack political experience, let them brave the storm and the big waves and pass through wind and rain [endure hardships]”