China, Vietnam, and the European 1968: A Note on Chronology and World Revolution

Abstract

This article reveals the growth of European Maoist organizations in relation to the Sino-Soviet split, the Cultural Revolution and the Vietnam War. It discusses various forms of Chinese support to revolutionary organizations over the world. From the young radical Europeans, Beijing, we argue, primarily sought engagement against the American war in Vietnam. The Chinese influence in the protest movements against the war were, albeit indirect, significant and also played a part in the run up to the revolutionary year of 1968. However, the revolutions East and West were out of synch. In 1968 China has already, with its Cultural Revolution, turned inward again, diminishing most of its former interest in any world revolution.