alternatehistory.com
High Ground
High Ground
"The Bastards are going to end up blowing us all up"
Statement by President Robert F. Kennedy to Secretary of State Edmund Muskie on November 18th, 1972
..............
Kennedy's victory celebration wouldn't last very long, as international affairs would demand his attention shortly after his reelection.
On November 8th, 1972, a Soviet patrol, reportedly on their side of the Ussuli river would be attacked an killed by Chinese forces. The incident would spark the famous "Second Border Conflict", and nearly trigger a Nuclear War.
In 1969 a very similar conflict had arisen, when Chinese and Soviet troops clashed on Damansky island, on the same same Ussuri river. The conflict had marked a breaking point on the Sino-Soviet split. Fortunately for all, cooler heads prevailed and Chairman Mao and Premier Brezhnev came to a understanding.
Now, however, Chairman Mao was long dead, and Chairman and Paramount Leader Lin Biao ruled the nation. A man whose views on the Soviets was one of open hostility.
Tensions had been rising since his ascension to power on 1970. Large numbers of Chinese forces were being moved to the Sino-Mongolian and Sino-Soviet borders for the last two years, and now, it seemed that a war was inevitable.
The Soviet Union in no way was backing down. Fully aware of the Chinese actions, they would also increase forces on their border significantly.
Soviet troops were diverted to the chinese border
The Soviet Intelligence Aparatus had been following the events in China very closely for years. The death of Mao had triggered fears among the Soviets about a possible successor. Brezhnev had hoped that a conciliatory force might take power, but instead China was now ruled by a Hostile single-minded hardline Maoist.
During the Chinese purges following Chairman Biao ascension, Propaganda would frequently claim a the presence of Soviet spies, and their influence in trying crush China under the "reactionary feet of Russia". History has shown that, in part, they were correct. There was a presence of Soviet spies on China, trying for some time to weaken Biao's position so that another figure might step in. By late 1972, however, the Chairman had secured his position, being responsible for the death and displacement of dozens of thousands of "subersives, spies, and other traitors to the Cultural Proletariat Revolution".
Chairman Biao, aided by Jiang Qing, better known as Madam Mao, would continue to cement his position as Mao Zedong's heir, and defender of the Cultural Revolution.
Propaganda depicting Chairman Lin Biao holding the Little Red Book by the side of his
predecessor, Mao Zedong. The poster reads "Advance victoriously while following Chairman
Mao's revolutionary line"
The incident on the Ussuli river would be called a act of agression by Brezhnev and the Soviet government. Chairman Biao would proclaim that the Soviet soldiers were on the Chinese side of the river, gathering information on chinese defenses. This would be vehemently denied by Soviet authorities.
It is believed today that none of the two leaders had any interest in escalating the conflict any further. Chairman Biao was still establishing his power over China. His seat and life were in no immediate danger, but if a conflict was to spark between his country and the "northern traitors to the socialist revolution", he would prefer it to start in a later moment, when his grip over the country was more complete.
Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, on the other hand was deeply concerned with preserving the cohesion of the Warsaw Pact in Europe, and preventing the 1969 Prague Deal from resulting in the "liberalization" of further Warsaw members. He wished to make it clear that no further dissent with Soviet doctrine would be allowed, and that Czechoslovakia was a exception, and nothing more. For that reason, continuing to divert men to the Chinese border was far from acceptable to Brezhnev. A possible war with another socialist country, and one with nuclear capability at that, was the last thing the Premier desired.
Both man, however, were too set in their positions to back down. One nation claimed to have been unjustly attacked, and the other that it was simply defending itself. In the end it took a third figure to finally put a end to the conflict.
President Robert F. Kennedy would, on Nobember 19th, 1972, make a official statement, that any Nuclear conflict between the two nations would be unnacceptable, and that it would most likely result in U.S. retaliations against the first agressor. This stance was the same held by him in 1969, and earlier by his predecessors, Lyndon B. Johnson and JFK. The threat of a two way conflict was to both China and the USSR far beyond the acceptable. For that reason, the conflict would begin to die out by late November.
While troop presence in the border would remain quite high, no further blood would be spilled. the Soviet dead would be peacefully returned, and peace would be guaranteed for now.
The event, would be the first international situation wich would draw President Kennedy's attention after his Re-election. It wouldn't be the last, as his second term would in many ways be dominated by foreign affairs.
China Alone- A history of the Cultural Revolution, Anne Long
.................
Hope everyone enjoys. Interesting stuff in China, and a bit of foreshadowing there in the end.
"The Bastards are going to end up blowing us all up"
Statement by President Robert F. Kennedy to Secretary of State Edmund Muskie on November 18th, 1972
..............
Kennedy's victory celebration wouldn't last very long, as international affairs would demand his attention shortly after his reelection.
On November 8th, 1972, a Soviet patrol, reportedly on their side of the Ussuli river would be attacked an killed by Chinese forces. The incident would spark the famous "Second Border Conflict", and nearly trigger a Nuclear War.
In 1969 a very similar conflict had arisen, when Chinese and Soviet troops clashed on Damansky island, on the same same Ussuri river. The conflict had marked a breaking point on the Sino-Soviet split. Fortunately for all, cooler heads prevailed and Chairman Mao and Premier Brezhnev came to a understanding.
Now, however, Chairman Mao was long dead, and Chairman and Paramount Leader Lin Biao ruled the nation. A man whose views on the Soviets was one of open hostility.
Tensions had been rising since his ascension to power on 1970. Large numbers of Chinese forces were being moved to the Sino-Mongolian and Sino-Soviet borders for the last two years, and now, it seemed that a war was inevitable.
The Soviet Union in no way was backing down. Fully aware of the Chinese actions, they would also increase forces on their border significantly.
Soviet troops were diverted to the chinese border
The Soviet Intelligence Aparatus had been following the events in China very closely for years. The death of Mao had triggered fears among the Soviets about a possible successor. Brezhnev had hoped that a conciliatory force might take power, but instead China was now ruled by a Hostile single-minded hardline Maoist.
During the Chinese purges following Chairman Biao ascension, Propaganda would frequently claim a the presence of Soviet spies, and their influence in trying crush China under the "reactionary feet of Russia". History has shown that, in part, they were correct. There was a presence of Soviet spies on China, trying for some time to weaken Biao's position so that another figure might step in. By late 1972, however, the Chairman had secured his position, being responsible for the death and displacement of dozens of thousands of "subersives, spies, and other traitors to the Cultural Proletariat Revolution".
Chairman Biao, aided by Jiang Qing, better known as Madam Mao, would continue to cement his position as Mao Zedong's heir, and defender of the Cultural Revolution.
Propaganda depicting Chairman Lin Biao holding the Little Red Book by the side of his
predecessor, Mao Zedong. The poster reads "Advance victoriously while following Chairman
Mao's revolutionary line"
The incident on the Ussuli river would be called a act of agression by Brezhnev and the Soviet government. Chairman Biao would proclaim that the Soviet soldiers were on the Chinese side of the river, gathering information on chinese defenses. This would be vehemently denied by Soviet authorities.
It is believed today that none of the two leaders had any interest in escalating the conflict any further. Chairman Biao was still establishing his power over China. His seat and life were in no immediate danger, but if a conflict was to spark between his country and the "northern traitors to the socialist revolution", he would prefer it to start in a later moment, when his grip over the country was more complete.
Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, on the other hand was deeply concerned with preserving the cohesion of the Warsaw Pact in Europe, and preventing the 1969 Prague Deal from resulting in the "liberalization" of further Warsaw members. He wished to make it clear that no further dissent with Soviet doctrine would be allowed, and that Czechoslovakia was a exception, and nothing more. For that reason, continuing to divert men to the Chinese border was far from acceptable to Brezhnev. A possible war with another socialist country, and one with nuclear capability at that, was the last thing the Premier desired.
Both man, however, were too set in their positions to back down. One nation claimed to have been unjustly attacked, and the other that it was simply defending itself. In the end it took a third figure to finally put a end to the conflict.
President Robert F. Kennedy would, on Nobember 19th, 1972, make a official statement, that any Nuclear conflict between the two nations would be unnacceptable, and that it would most likely result in U.S. retaliations against the first agressor. This stance was the same held by him in 1969, and earlier by his predecessors, Lyndon B. Johnson and JFK. The threat of a two way conflict was to both China and the USSR far beyond the acceptable. For that reason, the conflict would begin to die out by late November.
While troop presence in the border would remain quite high, no further blood would be spilled. the Soviet dead would be peacefully returned, and peace would be guaranteed for now.
The event, would be the first international situation wich would draw President Kennedy's attention after his Re-election. It wouldn't be the last, as his second term would in many ways be dominated by foreign affairs.
China Alone- A history of the Cultural Revolution, Anne Long
.................
Hope everyone enjoys. Interesting stuff in China, and a bit of foreshadowing there in the end.