-
The Other Cold War: Why China and the Soviet Union Fell Apart
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, China and the Soviet Union looked like the perfect pairing, as they were two huge Communist powers challenging the Western world. However, by the end of the 1960s, the relationship between the powerhouses quickly began to deteriorate, turning from an alliance into competition for influence, and even to violence. What happened to cause this? How did the two nations go from allies to rivals? The answer lies in one of the most underreported stories of the Cold War. In 1949, when Mao Zedong took control of China and the Chinese Communist Party, he saw building a relationship with the Soviet Union as crucial…
-
China Invades Vietnam
On February 17th, 1979, China invaded Vietnam in response to Vietnam’s growing ties with China’s rival, the Soviet Union, as well as the invasion of Cambodia. Although the conflict only lasted for nine days, it is estimated that there were tens of thousands of casualties, and tensions between the countries remained high.
-
The Short Staircase and an International Incident
Most of us have seen the famous images of US presidents descending from Air Force One via the 18 foot tall staircase. Recently however, these images have become less common. This is because President Biden has been opting to use another shorter set of stairs to enter and exit Air Force One. Because of this, media sources and the general public have been criticizing the president and calling him weak. How could a simple staircase have such a great impact on a president’s public image? Well, the use of the same staircase once led to the outbreak of an international incident. In 2016, President Obama was en route to…
