Sino-Soviet-American relations during 1969 followed a chaotic course. Scholars have asserted in the past that the Sino-Soviet border conflict in March led to Sino-American rapprochement in December. However, evidence from China, the former socialist world and the United States undermines the interpretation of a purposeful and planned policy of any of the three actors to the others. None had a formulated policy or strategy in place. China lacked the governmental ability to chart a clear course, the United States underwent a presidential transition, and neither it nor the Soviet Union had meaningful diplomatic relations with the People's Republic. In this context, the border clashes, intended by China to reassert territorial claims on a small island, led to a complex web of actions and interactions between the three countries that was based on mutual misunderstanding, lack of communication, exaggerated threat perceptions and improvised decision making. Thus the outcome at the end of the year, the start of a friendly relationship between Beijing and Washington, was by no means the result of well-formulated and implemented policies.

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Restoring Chaos to History: Sino-Soviet-American Relations, 1969

term goals included the training of a successor generation in revolution by allowing in fact encouraging the youth to make revolution from below. Mao also wanted to create new values and a new superstructure in China. This was the time when a certain section within the party was keen on opting out for a more pragmatist approach to economic development, instead of maintaining the revolutionary fervour which Mao sought. Mao dreaded this pragmatism as he realized that this would

Ranjana Kakkar

Papers

The Role of the PLA during the Cultural Revolution