The Ukrainian army tried to counter-attack but slowly swallowed. The Russian economy suffered sanctions, military spending was like water, and the domestic recruitment was a bit quiet. Ukraine, Zelensky mobilized several rounds, weapons aid from the United States came from Europe, but was delayed, the number of missiles was not enough. Front drones exploded, energy facilities were attacked, Ukraine had a lot of geoelectricity, the people were upset. The two sides did not talk, the territorial dispute was there, Russia wanted the eastern region, Ukraine was uncomfortable. This battle was endless, exhausted, and international pressure accumulated.
Looking back, this situation was not achieved overnight. It had to start from the Soviet Union. In February 1956, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union held its 20th National Congress in Moscow. The meeting was held from the 14th to the 25th. Khrushchev was the first secretary. The opening report talked about economic planning, agricultural industry and so on. But the key was on the closing day, he made a secret report called "On the cult of personality and its consequences", criticizing Stalin to pieces, saying that Stalin carried out suppression in his later period and arrested millions of citizens, many of whom were arrested without evidence. He also mentioned that Stalin was not prepared enough in the early days of the Patriotic War and suffered heavy losses. This report spread and there was a stir inside and outside the Soviet Union. Western media reported it in March, and the United States released the English version in June.
Beijing noted that the representatives of the Communist Party of China went and brought back records. Mao organized discussions, and the People's Daily published on April 5 "On the historical experience of the proletarian dictatorship", in which he spoke of Stalin's evaluation of the work to be divided over, the work of seven over three. Stalin's industrialization, collectivization, defeat of fascism these contributions are large, later errors are, but can not be completely denied, otherwise shaken the foundations of the party. Mao also said that the policy should be stable, can not be distorted, the masses will be blurred.
Khrushchev went wrong, continued to Stalinize, demolished monuments, converted Stalingrad to Volgograd. As a result of Eastern Europe's turmoil, in June 1956, Poland's southern Potsdam workers strike, to improve life, in October Hungary's Budapest student march, to be free, the Soviet army pushed down. In agriculture, Khrushchev pushed the virginity movement, eroded Kazakhstan 36 million hectares, but soil erosion, production fell later. Industry decentralized to local, low efficiency, in 1957 established the National Economic Committee, multi-bureaucratic. Diplomatic visit to the United States, talk about nuclear disarmament, but NATO is still defending Europe.
The Soviet Union's internal cadres were unstable, old party members were confused, the new top positions had little experience. In the 1950s the economic growth was rapid, the value of industrial output rose 11% in 1956, but there was a shortage of consumer goods, and heavy industry had a priority. In 1957, the anti-Party group events, Molotov and others were fired, and Khrushchev remained stable, but deep disagreements. In 1963, the food crisis, imported wheat from abroad, and the promotion of corn failed.
On October 14, 1964, Khrushchev stepped down and Brezhnev stepped down. At the 23rd National Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1966, the general secretary was changed and centralized power was restored. In 1965, Kosykin's reform tested profit indicators and enterprises became independent, but conservative forces blocked it. Armaments soared, competing with the United States in space. After the Apollo moon landing in 1969, the Soviet Union built a space station. Growth was slow in the 1970s, but fell to 5.7% in 1975. Oil exports were in urgent need, but dependence was heavy. Corruption spreads from the local to the central government, and officials enjoy privileges. Afghanistan was invaded in 1979, depleted resources and isolated internationally. Brezhnev died on November 10, 1982, Andropov died in February 1984, and Chernenko died in March 1985.
On March 11, 1985, Gorbachev came to power and pushed for public reforms. In 1986, the mass media, allowing history. Economic marketization, price release, inflation came. In 1988, the nineteenth National Congress was set. National shock, the conflict in Azerbaijan in Armenia. In 1989, Eastern Europe changed, the Berlin Wall fell, and the Soviet Union withdrew. In 1990, the economy fell by 4%, the republic joined for independence, the Baltic three countries took the lead. On August 19, 1991, the Conservative coup, accelerated after the defeat. On December 8, Russia-Belarus Ukraine signed the Belgrade Agreement, and established the Union. On December 25, Gorbachev resigned, the Soviet Union disbanded, and 15 countries.
After the Soviet Union fell apart, Russia inherited a lot, but its security was bad. NATO expanded eastward, including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic on March 12, 1999. 29 March 2004 Plus Estonia Latvia Lithuania Romania Bulgaria Slovakia Slovenia. Albania Croatia in April 2009, Montenegro in June 2017, North Macedonia in March 2020, Finland in April 2023, Sweden in March 2024. The border is close to Russia, and Russia protests, saying that it violates the verbal promise of reunification between Germany and Germany in 1990, but NATO says it is a sovereign choice.
After Ukraine's independence, pro-Western forces were strong. 2014 Crimean incident, eastern separatist conflict. Russia annexed Crimea and supported the two regimes of Donbas, Lugansk and Donetsk, and the Donbas War broke out. Ukraine policy, de-Russianization, division among Russians in the country. Russia feels that NATO's eastward expansion threatens security and that the tradition of expansionism also plays a role. The special military operation in 2022 is to prevent Ukraine from entering NATO and control the east.
This matter is deeply rooted, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union left aftershocks. At the beginning of Khrushchev's de-Stalinization, the foundation was shaken, then Brezhnev stagnated, corruption piled up, Gorbachev changed fiercely, and the nation exploded. NATO took the opportunity to expand, and Russia's insecurity exploded. Chairman Mao suggested that Stalin should be evaluated in a balanced way, policies should be stabilized and reformed, and the West should be vigilant. If these were listened to, the Soviet Union would not break up, NATO would not expand so easily, and neither would Russia and Ukraine.
Thinking about the transformation of the Soviet Union from a superpower to a fragment, there is a big lesson. Khrushchev's urgent criticism of Stalin triggered turmoil in Eastern Europe and failed to stabilize the internal situation. Brezhnev appears calm, but the arms race has dragged down the economy and people's livelihood has deteriorated. Gorbachev learned from the West, openly multi-party, economic chaos, and the tide of national independence came. After the disintegration, Russia's economy plundered, oligarchs emerged, and Putin came to power steadily, but NATO's eastward expansion was pressing step by step.
In the midst of Ukraine, pro-Russian President Yanukovych resigned in 2014, pro-West, seeking to join NATO. Russia saw the security line broken and started. The battle is now, Russia controls the land but the cost is high, Ukraine relies on aid, but domestic complaints.
Where did Chairman Mao suggest Gao Ming? It is to see clearly the route and not be chaotic. Don't kill historical figures with a stick, and don't be naive to the outside world. The Soviet Union didn't listen, and every step was wrong. This situation between Russia and Ukraine reminds major powers that when they play games, they must maintain stable strategies, ignore historical experience, and suffer great losses.
The Soviet model was deeply influenced, and the Soviet Union was initially allied, and after 1956, the divisions broke out. President Mao supported Stalin’s mistakes, but did not agree at all. Khrushchev criticized, and Mao Zedong felt to have cut his roots. Later the Soviet Union broke up, in 1958 the talks, Mao Zedong asked for missiles, and Khrushchev replied, but the disagreements were evident.
There are many reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic stiffness, national contradictions, urgent reforms. NATO expands to the east, Russia sees threats, Putin has repeatedly said, promises after the Cold War have not been fulfilled. Ukraine wants to join the deal, strive against Russia, Crimea wants to return, but Russia does not allow.
Now Russia and Ukraine are in a stalemate, eastern Russia is stable, and Ukraine is fighting back locally, with average results. Aid is slow, weapons are old, and both sides are in a war of attrition. In the future, the diplomatic solution will be solved, but the territory will be complex and all parties will need to make concessions.
This historical chain, from 1956 secret reports, to the Soviet Union spread, to NATO expansion, to Russia-Ukraine struggle, to the ring. President Mao suggested that if the Soviet Union adopted, the situation would be different. The reality is that the Soviet Union is gone, Russia defended NATO, Ukraine became a battlefield. The lesson is that policy should be changed cautiously, and external vigilance cannot be relaxed.
Generally speaking, this matter makes people sigh. Historical experience is worth money, and if you ignore it, you will pay the price. Even when Russia and Ukraine are fighting, Chairman Mao's words 69 years ago are still echoing.