Russia's Century-Long Sabotage of China's Rise

Resources

Books

• "The History of Sino-Soviet Relations" by Sarah Paine - The podcast host mentions her dissertation focused on this topic, providing historical context for the episode's discussion.

Articles & Papers

• "The Karakhan Manifesto" (Sent by Lev Karakhan to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in 1919) - This document is discussed as the origin of the myth of Sino-Soviet friendship, where the Soviets promised to return lands from unequal treaties.

People Mentioned

• Lev Karakhan (Deputy Foreign Minister) - Mentioned for sending the Karakhan Manifesto in 1919, promising to return lands from unequal treaties to China.
• Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (Leader of the Nationalist Party) - Referenced as the leader of the Northern Expedition and the Nationalist forces during the Chinese Civil War.
• Mao (Leader of the Chinese Communist Party) - Discussed as the leader who reunified China in 1949 and later developed a rural strategy for power after the communists were massacred in urban areas.
• Joseph Stalin - Discussed extensively for his role in shaping Sino-Soviet relations and his geopolitical strategies, including his internal power struggle with Trotsky.
• Leonid Trotsky - Mentioned as Stalin's rival in the succession struggle after Lenin's death, advocating for world revolution.
• Nikita Khrushchev - Stalin's successor, who had disputes with Mao over de-Stalinization, peaceful coexistence, and aid to North Vietnam.
• Deng Xiaoping - Credited with implementing internal reforms in China that led to significant economic growth.
• Mikhail Gorbachev - Discussed for his attempts at political and economic reforms in the Soviet Union, which ultimately led to its collapse.
• Andrei Vyshinsky - Described as a toxic personality from the Soviet Union, who ran show trials and appointed key ministers in Romania to control the country.
• Marshal Kliment Voroshilov - Another Soviet figure mentioned for his involvement in purges and for his role in consolidating communist power in Hungary.
• Xi Jinping - The current leader of China, discussed in the context of maintaining CCP rule, territorial expansion, and nationalism.
• Pericles - Ancient Athenian leader quoted for his warning about internal blunders being more dangerous than enemies' devices.
• Nicholas II - The last Emperor of Russia, whose decisions in the Russo-Japanese War are discussed as contributing to his downfall.

Organizations & Institutions

• Comintern (Communist International) - Referred to as the Soviet outreach program, which signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with the Japanese and Germans.
• NATO - Mentioned as an alliance that European countries joined to protect themselves from Soviet imperialism and later from Russian actions.
• United Nations - Mentioned in the context of Roosevelt wanting China to be a veto-wielding member.

Websites & Online Resources

• mercury.com - Mentioned as a banking platform used to run a business, invoice sponsors, and pay bills.
• labelbox.com/forkash - Mentioned as a resource to learn more about Labelbox's work with AI models and benchmarks.
• dwarkesh.com/advertise - Mentioned as the contact for podcast sponsorship inquiries.

Other Resources

• Opium Wars - Discussed as a period when Britain and France pressured China to trade on their terms, coinciding with Chinese rebellions.
• Taiping Rebellion - One of the major rebellions in China during the mid-19th century.
• Nian Rebellion - Another significant rebellion in China during the mid-19th century.
• Treaty of Aigun (1858) - Signed between Russia and China, ceding large swaths of territory to Russia.
• Treaty of Peking (1860) - Signed between Russia and China, further ceding territory to Russia.
• First Sino-Japanese War - A war where Japan defeated China, leading to territorial gains for Japan and subsequent intervention by Russia.
• Triple Intervention - The intervention by Russia, France, and Germany to pressure Japan to return the Liaodong Peninsula to China.
• Karakhan Manifesto - A 1919 missive from Lev Karakhan to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, promising to return lands from unequal treaties.
• First United Front - An alliance between the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communist Party, facilitated by Soviet aid.
• Northern Expedition - A military campaign led by Chiang Kai-shek to reunify China.
• Huangpu Military Academy - Founded in Canton (Guangzhou) with Russian aid, it educated officers for both the Nationalist and Communist parties.
• Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) - A war in which Japan defeated Russia, gaining control of certain railways in Chinese territory.
• Anti-Comintern Pact (1936) - Signed between Japan and Germany, aimed against the Comintern.
• Second United Front - The alliance between the Chinese Nationalists and Communists to fight against the Japanese invasion.
• Yalta Agreement - Stipulated that Russia would enter the war against Japan and also addressed the status of Mongolia.
• August Storm - The Soviet military operation in Manchuria in the final weeks of World War II.
• Tannu Tuva - A territory annexed by the Soviets in 1944.
• Korean War - Discussed as a conflict where Stalin sought to weaken the US and delay China's rise by having China fight to the last man.
• Cultural Revolution - A period in China characterized by virulently anti-Western foreign policy and social upheaval.
• Taiwan Strait Crises (1954 and 1958) - Periods where Mao initiated conflict with Nationalist islands, causing concern for Khrushchev.
• Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty - A treaty between China and the Soviet Union, with nuclear fallout clauses mentioned.
• Zhenbao Island (Damansky Island) - An island in the Amur River that was the site of a border war between China and Russia.
• Marshall Plan - A US initiative to provide aid to Western allies after World War II.
• Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Nazi-Soviet Pact) - An agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to divide Poland and parts of Eastern Europe.
• Great Purges - A series of campaigns of political repression in the Soviet Union.
• Show Trials - Public trials held in the Soviet Union and other communist states, often resulting in predetermined convictions.
• Third Rome - An ideology that posited Moscow as the successor to Rome and Constantinople as the center of Orthodox Christianity.
• Mongol Yoke - The period in Russian history when Mongol rule was exerted over Russian principalities.
• Yellow Peril - A racist term used to describe the perceived threat of East Asian powers.
• Belt and Road Initiative - A Chinese global infrastructure development strategy.
• Tiananmen Massacre - The violent suppression of protests in Beijing in 1989, after which China rewrote textbooks to focus on jingoistic nationalism.
• Chechen Wars - Conflicts in Chechnya in which Vladimir Putin rose to power.
• War with Georgia (2008) - A conflict where Russia detached South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia.
• Annexation of Crimea (2014) - Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
• Russo-Ukrainian War (2022) - The ongoing large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
• AMY and HMMT problems - Challenging math competition problems used by Labelbox to evaluate AI models.
• The Big Lie - A propaganda technique where a lie is so colossal that no one would believe that anyone could possibly have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.
• Cooperative Adversary - A concept implying an adversary who does not play their cards particularly well, making them easier to manipulate.