Chapter 17 The time had come for me to become the Communist King of the World 1956-1957

Journalist: “With the death of Stalin, you think your time has come?”

Mao: “Yes. In February 1956, Khrushchev gave a report at the Soviet Communist Party Congress, exposing the crimes of Stalin’s purges, and spoke for four hours, like a bomb erupting, shocking the whole audience, the crows were silent, Stalin turned from a god to a criminal, the world situation changed suddenly, two people went into shock on the spot, and the Polish communist leader Beirut died of a heart attack. I read the report, one with joy, the other with sorrow. I was happy that Stalin had been turned away and that I would have my day as the world’s communist king. Worried because I and Stalin is the same kind, the crime is similar, anti-Stalin afraid to implicate themselves, life is not easy.”

Journalist: “Khrushchev came to power, do you look up to him?”

Mao: “Khrushchev is engaged in a peaceful race, a peaceful transition, not the same kind as me. I want to insist on the revolution, the peaceful transition is far away, I want to achieve the world revolution under me. I think he is not qualified to be an international communist leader in terms of seniority and tactics, after Stalin, it is me. But the Soviet Union has the strength and the atomic bomb, and I have to rely on his help. I can’t go out in front yet, I can only plan in the back and let him go with my tune.”

Journalist: “Do you have a way to get Khrushchev to go with your tune?”

Mao: “Yes, I used the Poland incident.

I had been interested in Eastern Europe for a long time, and I wanted to sit on the international communist throne. I cabled Stalin as early as April 1948, proposing to visit the Soviet Union and at the same time to visit Eastern and Southern Europe, but Stalin ignored me because he did not want me to interfere in Eastern Europe. At the beginning of the establishment of the new China, I repeatedly expressed my eagerness to establish diplomatic relations with East Germany, Albania and others.

When the events in Eastern Europe took place in 1956, they looked to me, the most authoritative communist theorist, to see how I would take a stand. The slogan ‘All flowers bloom, all schools contend’ was very popular in Poland, and my slogan was very much to their taste, and the Hungarians also wanted my support, saying, ‘The Chinese are standing with us.’

September to October 1956, Poland came to visit China, and I received Beirut twice.

But the Polish incident, I did not know in advance that Khrushchev intended to use the army, and I did not know that he stopped military action, not that my intervention worked to stop him from using force, I did not know the situation and could not comment on it.

Poland’s statement that it would not leave the socialist camp was the fundamental reason for Khrushchev’s decision not to use military force. After the Polish crisis subsided, I decided to send Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping to the Soviet Union, Poland, is to deal with the aftermath, do some mediation work, stabilize the situation. Khrushchev admitted to Liu Shaoqi to handle Poland rough, self-criticism, but not good to say directly to Poland, hoping that the Chinese Communist Party to persuade them. I 1956.10.27. at 2 a.m., also with Zhou Enlai talked with the Polish ambassador for 3 hours, criticized the remnants of Great Russian chauvinism, appreciated Gomulka, and hoped that Poland would take a tolerant attitude towards the Soviet Communist Party.

In June 1956, Poland was affected by the thaw of Khrushchev’s report and thousands of workers’ anti-Soviet strikes and demonstrations took place. The Polish government sent tanks to quell the riots, 74 people died, more than 800 were injured and more than 600 were arrested. The events in Poland led to the rise to power of the reformist Gomulka, who dismissed the defense minister sent by the Soviet Union. Khrushchev wanted to send troops to suppress it, and I wanted to take the opportunity to challenge Khrushchev, who said east and I said west, deliberately screwing up. In the middle of the night in my pajamas, I summoned the Soviet ambassador Eugene in my bedroom and told him to call Khrushchev immediately to tell him that if the Soviet Union sent troops, I would publicly denounce it. At the same time I sent Liu Shaoqi to Moscow, accusing the Soviet Communist Party of chauvinism, asking the Soviet Communist Party to openly self-criticize and disgrace Khrushchev. in October 1956 Khrushchev went to Poland and was forced to agree to Gomulka and transfer back to the Minister of Defense.”

Journalist: “The Polish incident went according to your tune?”

Mao: “More or less, I showed prowess. Hungary was inspired by the Polish victory, and in October 1956 there were massive demonstrations in the capital Budapest, toppling Stalin’s statue and liberal calls to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet Union considered withdrawing the Red Army, and once the Red Army left, Hungary was sure to change. At this point I also showed my prowess by saying he said west and I said east.

In November 1956, the Soviets sent out tanks to suppress the situation. 2,500 people died and 13,000 were injured. The liberal leader Nagy was arrested.”

Journalist: “The Hungary incident, you said you would send troops, and Khrushchev sent troops to suppress it, listening to you?”

Mao: “Yes, I exerted my might. The Hungarian incident, I had no prior knowledge of it at all. Khrushchev was too late to inform me and seek advice, only afterwards I sent Liu Shaoqi to help the Soviet Communist Party in the aftermath. The decision to send troops again was made by the Soviet Communist Party on its own. My opinion was coincidental, I was inclined to suppress it because Hungary had asked to leave the communist camp, Khrushchev said that Hungary could not be given to the West, and I agreed that Nagy wanted to withdraw immediately from the Warsaw Pact and declare neutrality.

I was completely unaware of the events in Hungary. Khrushchev was too late to inform me and seek advice, only afterwards I sent Liu Shaoqi to help the Soviet Communist Party in the aftermath. Khrushchev decided to send troops again, was made by the Soviet Communist Party on its own. My opinion was coincidental, I was inclined to suppress because Hungary had asked to leave the communist camp, Khrushchev said that Hungary could not be given to the West, and I agreed that Nagy wanted to withdraw immediately from the Warsaw Pact and declare neutrality.

The American attitude had decisive influence. on October 27, 1956 Secretary of State Dulles said that the United States did not consider Hungary (a Soviet satellite state) as a potential military ally. On October 31, President Eisenhower repeated Dulles’ statement, telling Moscow that the U.S. would not intervene, and that you could do as you pleased. This reassured Khrushchev to decide everything.

The U.S. did not care and stood by, leaving the Hungarian people isolated and helpless, making Hungary’s break from Soviet control a complete failure.

I sent Liu Shaoqi there to help the Soviet Union to recover and tide over the difficulties.

On November 5, 1956, U.S. President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Soviet Union only after the fact: ‘expressing shock at the Soviet move in Hungary, he asked the Soviet Union to withdraw its troops immediately.’ Only afterwards did he condemn it, verbally only, for sitting on his hands earlier and enabling the Soviet Union to act with impunity.”

Journalist: “You sent Zhou Enlai to Eastern Europe again to restore and strengthen diplomatic relationship?”

Mao: “Yes. Within two months after the Polish-Hungarian incident, the Soviet Union, Poland and Hungary were still in difficulty and danger, so I sent Zhou Enlai to the three countries to improve my prestige, increase my influence, and criticize the Soviet Union, and mediation, and defend the Soviet Union. In short, I was the most correct, above the 3 countries, not only helped the Soviet Union stabilize the situation, but also pacified Poland and Hungary, Gommukar also wanted me to visit Warsaw. I was very proud, I sent Zhou Enlai to stabilize the situation in Eastern Europe, through the crisis, I even criticized the Soviet Communist Party 20 to make right-leaning opportunist mistakes, give him a big hat, non-Stalinization out of chaos, stabbed ‘trouble,’ ha ha, the Polish-Hungarian incident, I went up, the Soviet Union as the head of the ‘Soviet-led.’ I raised a large level, and the Soviet Union, I am the successor of Lenin, from the worship of Stalin to worship me.

I also criticized the Soviet Union for being ‘superior’ and unequal to its sister parties, embarrassing Khrushchev.

I forced Khrushchev to say that he himself was a ‘Stalinist’ during the Stalinist era, and after Zhou Enlai’s visit to the Soviet Union, Poland and Hungary in 1956, I forced the Soviet press to reaffirm Stalin’s greatness, and television footage of Stalin appeared again. Zhou Enlai farewell banquet cold, Khrushchev did not say a word, he had anger in his heart, his emotions outward. It turned out that all that was said was that I, Mao Zedong, was right, so how could Khrushchev not be angry? Zhou Enlai succeeded as a mediator, greatly improving my position, Khrushchev was taunted, I am really happy. The Poles even said: The socialist camp should be led by me, and the Korean War confirmed my status as an exemplary leader. When the Stalinist flag fell, the new leader was me, and the international communist leadership was transferred to the CCP, and I was at least sharing leadership with the Soviet Communist Party, making the Soviet Union uneasy.

Hey, dealing with the crisis in Eastern Europe, I reached both purposes, using Poland and Hungary to criticize the Soviet Communist Party for its chauvinism and unequal treatment of sister parties. And through support for troops against Hungary, see me adhere to Marxism and take the communist camp banner in my hands. Khrushchev also helped me by bringing me into Eastern European communist affairs.

Now that I was in the lead, Khrushchev was subject to my criticism, and I was high above all, as if I were the emperor, and I was so pleased with myself.

Because of Khrushchev’s sudden criticism of Stalin, the countries were unprepared, leading to chaos and almost out of control. After Poland and Hungary were basically pacified, Khrushchev asked me to visit the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, to help stabilize the situation. I was reluctant to go out, so in January 1957, I sent Zhou Enlai. Zhou went to Poland to see Gomulka and asked him to recognize ‘the Soviet Union as the boss,’ but Gomulka was reluctant to recognize the Soviet Union or China as the head. Eastern Europe then circulated joke, said someone went to buy tea, the shopkeeper said: ‘there are Russian tea, Chinese tea, which one do you want?’ The buyer said: ‘Then I’d rather have coffee.’”

Journalist: “Oh, you took the opportunity to send Zhou Enlai to lobby Poland? Poland did not even buy?”

Mao: “Yes. At that time Peng Zhen was visiting Yugoslavia. I told Peng Zhen to pull Tito to start a new stove and join forces to hold the International Communist Congress, leaving the Soviet Union aside. Tito was not interested, so he had to give up. In fact, I only wanted to use him. I knew that Gomulka, Tito, were rightists, and I used to scold them in the Communist Party.”

Journalist: “Oh, you wanted to use Tito? Tito doesn’t give a shit on you?”

Mao: “If Tito doesn’t give a shit on me, I’ll call him Revisionist.

My view of Tito is similar to that of Gomulka, both are right-leaning revisionists, but I praised Tito’s independent spirit toward the Soviet Union for my anti-Soviet brother’s use, and I came to mediate the tensions in Soviet-South relations.

I proposed to Tito to co-sponsor the Communist Conference, was discovered by the Soviet Communist Party, the Soviet Communist Party in 1956 to come to me to lead the Moscow Conference alone, will be my army, so that I was embarrassed and passive, I said, should be held by the Soviet Communist Party in preparation.”

Journalist: “You really want to start a separate conference?

Mao: “Yes. In 1957, I once wanted to set aside the Soviet Communist Party and initiate a world communist conference in conjunction with the Southern Communist Party, but Tito did not respond, so I had to give up and go to the World Communist Congress in Moscow. But I wanted to be the chief director behind the scenes, to play the role of master, to solve the ideological confusion that had arisen, mainly the non-controversy and confusion caused by the Soviet troops in Hungary, and I came to correct Soviet big-partyism.

In 1943 Stalin dissolved the Third Communist International, signaling his abandonment of the world revolutionary strategy, and now it was my turn to raise the banner of world revolution.

I had intended to set up the ‘Eastern Communist Intelligence Bureau,’ which I would lead, but the conditions were not ripe and I was disappointed when Stalin did not agree. Stalin was afraid that I would become Tito of the East.

In July-August 1949, I wanted to organize the ‘First Study Group’ of the United Front Department to teach armed struggle to the Viet Cong (6 people), Thai Communist Party (10), Filipino Communist Party (6), Indonesian Communist Party (2), Burmese Communist Party (2), Malaysian Communist Party (2), and Indian Communist Party (1).

In 1951, when all Asian communist parties had permanent representatives in Beijing, I instructed to organize a training course for more than 400 people to train the backbone of each party.

In 1951, I set up the ‘Foreign Liaison Department,’ which was equivalent to my ‘Asian Bureau,’ mainly for the Eastern parties.

In 1956, Khrushchev proposed to re-establish the Liaison Bureau, but I denied it, because if it was established, it would be under the Soviet leadership, and I had no power to lead it.