Episode 8: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 4 is the final episode examining the scene in Moscow, where the defining alliance between the Chinese Communists and the Soviet Union was signed. It took a great deal of compromise...or wait, no it didn't. It required a lot of trust...no wait, that's not right either. Em, it was mutually beneficial to both sides thanks to a whole load of scheming and power plays? Yes that's a bit more accurate. The Sino-Soviet alliance wasn't your typical alliance - it was forged by two paranoid entities at a time when each party seriously mistrusted the other.

Within this episode, we are confronted by Stalin's changing policy towards Korea, as his own policy aims seemed in jeopardy if the Chinese managed to forge a deal with the West. At the core of Stalin's concerns was that his own influence would be diluted even if the Chinese managed to forge an alliance with Moscow, as American aid or agreements could replace those of the Soviet variety. To intercept this challenge to his supremacy, Stalin began to set in motion plans which would lead directly to the outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula six months later. This episode is thus a critically important one if we are to understand Stalin's mindset and his overall policy aims. Here we discover exactly how responsible Stalin was for the conflict that followed, so I hope you enjoy it!

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Music used:

"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral", by Chauncey Olcott, an Irish tune originating in 1913, but popularised by Bing Crosby in the 1940s. You can find it here:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chauncey_Olcott/

 

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