andKhrushchev. In November 1957 the Soviets agreed to help the Chinese in making anuclear bomb. (Arabtov, 68-71) Relations bewteen China and Russia began to improve asboth nations began to trust one another again.But events of 1958 soon strained relations between the USSR and China. In thefall of 1958 the Chinese began to bombard the Nationalist held island of Quemoy. TheAmericans, who supported the Chinese Nationalists, said that they would protect theisland of Quemoy with air and naval forces in the Pacific if the Chinese did not cease theirbombardment of the island. (Griffith, 61-2) The Soviets did give their verbal agreement toback China against the United States but were very cautious. The Soviets had alsopromised in 1957, with the development of the first Soviets ICBM (a missile that carriesnuclear warheads) and the launch of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik, the global balance ofpower had shifted to favor the Soviets. Before the Chinese had began their bombardmentof Quemoy, they were convinced that the Soviets would be able to defend them. But theSoviets soon caved in to American demands and withdrew their support. The Chinesewere infuriated. They were convinced that if the Soviets were more firm in their stanceagainst the Americans, the US would retreat. The Soviets had caused the Chinese to endtheir bombardment of the island of Quemoy and give in to “capitalist” demands from theUnited States and the Chinese Nationalists. (Simmons, 52-5) The bombardment ofQuemoy is seen as the first of many stumbling blocks in Sino-Soviet relations. If the Chinese thought that the Soviets were too conservative, the Sovietsconsidered the Chinese far too hasty. In May 1958, the Chinese proposed a plan called“The Great Leap Forward” which claimed that they had a formula to be the first nation to ever to be fully communist. They decided that they would substitute mass enthusiasm andtotal mobilization for the lack of material an...
