Nations
The Soviet Union emerged as a response to a dysfunctional monarchy system, which took place in Russia before Lenin. He was the one who initiated the process of revolution within the nation, which resulted in the Communist party becoming victorious. However, Mao’s goal was to industrialize China to seek out economic prosperity. The main similarity is manifested in the fact that both nations initially possessed monarchic systems, which were stagnant. However, as both countries progressed, their goals and objectives shifted, where USSR sought to become a global superpower with the only rival being the US. China mainly wanted to industrialize the nation to achieve economic prosperity (Duiker and Spielvogel 438). China was not aggressive in regards to its global geopolitics, but it was radical in suppressing any form of opposition within China. In the case of the Soviet Union, the post-Stalin era allowed to have a certain amount of opposition.
The differences in their strategic approaches
The differences in their strategic approaches were manifested in the overall outcome, where USSR could not become a superpower and were dismantled, and China became the major economy of the globe. The main difference is the presence of capitalism and private property. As a result, now within the framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the country has private enterprises, and the state is the owner, mainly in strategic sectors. It is important to note that there are also differences in politics. As in the USSR, a one-party regime is in power in China, but the scope of personal freedom and space for public discussion is much wider. In China, one can teach at universities on modern Western textbooks, read foreign books, and watch foreign films. In addition, a person can freely buy foreign things and travel abroad.
Work Cited
Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History, Volume II: Since 1500. 8th ed., Cengage Learning, 2015.