Welcome to Russian history retold, episode 278, the historical relationship between Russia

and China.

Last time, we finished up our five part series on the gulag, today we will discuss the relationship

between Russia, the Soviet Union, and China.

For today's episode, I will be using four main works, a history of Russia by Ryazanovsky

in Steinberg, a history of China by John Key, a history of modern Russia by Robert

Service, and Russia, a history by Gregory Fries, I failed them and I am going to lean a little

bit for a fifth book called The Failed Empire by Vladislav Zubak.

I chose a history of China because I wanted to see things from both sides and not just

from the Russian point of view.

One of my early difficulties with this episode was whether to include Russia's relationship

with the Mongols.

I know that they technically aren't Chinese, but they did rule China between 1271 and 1368.

Still, the Mongols weren't interested in developing relationships between their vassal states.

Quite the contrary, they would bar that to avoid any potential of creating combined enemies.

That said, there was little evidence that the Muscovite state had any relationship with

China during that period.

There is some scant evidence that during the period of Kievan dominance, it had developed

trade with the Chinese as it is very likely that they did, but they were so little to go

on, we are going to have to move on from that.

It was not until 1640 when Russian merchants and explorers made contact with the Chinese

with the founding of settlements in the Emor River Basin.

...