When China Wanted to Join the USSR: Stalin's Pivotal Refusal

In the late 1940s, at a time of burgeoning Cold War tensions, Mao Zedong, the newly established leader of the People's Republic of China, made a bold proposal to Joseph Stalin: the incorporation of China into the Soviet Union. This unprecedented move, if accepted, would have fundamentally reshaped the global political order, creating a communist superpower of unparalleled influence. However, Stalin, despite his initial admiration for Mao and his communist regime, ultimately rejected the proposal. The video suggests this was a calculated decision. "Stalin understood the immense power that a unified Sino-Soviet state would wield," says one historical analyst. The potential for a power struggle within the combined entity, along with the anticipated strong negative reaction from the West, likely played significant roles in Stalin's decision. This event serves as a reminder of the complex political dynamics of the era and the far-reaching consequences of even unfulfilled proposals.