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The New Cold War: Moscow V. Pekin
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
167 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
About the author
Edward Crankshaw
70 books13 followersEdward Crankshaw (3 January 1909 – 30 November 1984), was a British writer, translator and commentator on Soviet affairs.
Born in London, Crankshaw was educated in the Nonconformist public school, Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire, England. He started working as a journalist for a few months at The Times. In the 1930s he lived in Vienna, Austria, teaching English and learning German. He witnessed Adolf Hitler's Austro-German union in 1938, and predicted the Second World War while living there.
In 1940 Crankshaw was contacted by the Secret Intelligence Service because of his knowledge of German. During World War II Crankshaw served as a 'Y' (Signals Intelligence) officer in the British Army. From 1941 to 1943 he was assigned to the British Military Mission in Moscow, where he served initially as an Army 'Y' specialist and later as the accredited representative of the British 'Y' services, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Following a breakdown in 'Y' cooperation with the Soviet General Staff in December 1942, the British 'Y' Board recalled Crankshaw to London in February 1943. In May he was assigned to Bletchley Park, where he served as a liaison officer on matters pertaining to Russia.
From 1947 to 1968 he worked for the British newspaper The Observer. He died in 1984 in Hawkhurst, Kent.
Crankshaw wrote around 40 books on Austrian, (Vienna; Vienna, the Image of a Culture in Decline; Fall of the House of Habsburg; Gestapo. Instrument of Tyranny; Maria Theresa; Bismarck; The Habsburgs: a dynasty...) and Russian subjects, (Britain and Russia; Putting up with the Russians; Tolstoy: The making of a novelist; Russia without Stalin; The Shadow of the Winter Palace: Russia's Drift to Revolution, 1825–1917; Khrushchev; Khrushchev Remembers; The New Cold War, Moscow vs. Pekin; preface to Grigory Klimov's The Terror Machine).
(source: wikipedia)
Born in London, Crankshaw was educated in the Nonconformist public school, Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire, England. He started working as a journalist for a few months at The Times. In the 1930s he lived in Vienna, Austria, teaching English and learning German. He witnessed Adolf Hitler's Austro-German union in 1938, and predicted the Second World War while living there.
In 1940 Crankshaw was contacted by the Secret Intelligence Service because of his knowledge of German. During World War II Crankshaw served as a 'Y' (Signals Intelligence) officer in the British Army. From 1941 to 1943 he was assigned to the British Military Mission in Moscow, where he served initially as an Army 'Y' specialist and later as the accredited representative of the British 'Y' services, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Following a breakdown in 'Y' cooperation with the Soviet General Staff in December 1942, the British 'Y' Board recalled Crankshaw to London in February 1943. In May he was assigned to Bletchley Park, where he served as a liaison officer on matters pertaining to Russia.
From 1947 to 1968 he worked for the British newspaper The Observer. He died in 1984 in Hawkhurst, Kent.
Crankshaw wrote around 40 books on Austrian, (Vienna; Vienna, the Image of a Culture in Decline; Fall of the House of Habsburg; Gestapo. Instrument of Tyranny; Maria Theresa; Bismarck; The Habsburgs: a dynasty...) and Russian subjects, (Britain and Russia; Putting up with the Russians; Tolstoy: The making of a novelist; Russia without Stalin; The Shadow of the Winter Palace: Russia's Drift to Revolution, 1825–1917; Khrushchev; Khrushchev Remembers; The New Cold War, Moscow vs. Pekin; preface to Grigory Klimov's The Terror Machine).
(source: wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 31, 2026
Skippable. I got about 50 pages in, and 75% of the narrative is just the author’s opinions built on shaky sources of the countries, with mere tints of actual analysis of the material conditions, rather than the reverse. I’ll find the same info from a better source; seldom should you trust an American or British author on these matters in peak Cold War era.
January 15, 2023
Published in 1963, this book provides the reader with a look back on how the west viewed the rift between the communist states of the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Despite their being strong geopolitical reasons for there to be a rivalry between the two giant states, the rift remained a puzzlement to many western observers and policy makers. There were even some that openly believed that the rift was a phony, giant plot between the USSR and PRC in order to cause the west to lower their guard. Subsequent events have demonstrated that the rift was genuine and even harsher than was believed.
Crankshaw does an excellent job in explaining the particulars of the rift between the two communist giants and how the leaders of other communist states as well as the communist parties of western nations responded. Specific attention was paid to the Yugoslavs under Tito and the Albanians under Enver Hoxha. It is amusing to read how Chinese criticism of the Yugoslavs was an implicit criticism of Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev and Soviet criticism of the Albanians was an implicit criticism of the Chinese Communist leadership under Mao Zedong.
Another interesting aspect of this book is the descriptions of the actions and positions of the communist parties in countries such as Italy, Belgium and Australia. Allowed to openly engage in political activity, these groups had little power in their countries, but through the rift between the giants, were able to have influence at international party gatherings.
While events have passed the explanations in this book by, it remains a very sound explanation of the how and why of the split between the USSR and the PRC in leading the international communist movement.
Crankshaw does an excellent job in explaining the particulars of the rift between the two communist giants and how the leaders of other communist states as well as the communist parties of western nations responded. Specific attention was paid to the Yugoslavs under Tito and the Albanians under Enver Hoxha. It is amusing to read how Chinese criticism of the Yugoslavs was an implicit criticism of Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev and Soviet criticism of the Albanians was an implicit criticism of the Chinese Communist leadership under Mao Zedong.
Another interesting aspect of this book is the descriptions of the actions and positions of the communist parties in countries such as Italy, Belgium and Australia. Allowed to openly engage in political activity, these groups had little power in their countries, but through the rift between the giants, were able to have influence at international party gatherings.
While events have passed the explanations in this book by, it remains a very sound explanation of the how and why of the split between the USSR and the PRC in leading the international communist movement.
August 22, 2014
1963 examination of the issues arising between Moscow and Pekin in the Khruschev/(post)Mao Soviet era. Dated, of course, and with Crankshaw's typical comma splice heavy prose. Good quick read to refresh.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews