Chairman Mao is a person who is very fond of traveling, and we can see from his poetry and articles, such as the famous "Qinyuan Chun Changsha", which was written when he was a teenager when he traveled to Orange Island in Hunan, "Look at the red mountains, the layers of forests are dyed; the rivers are clear and transparent, and the hundreds of boats are competing for the current." ”
In addition, there are also, "Mountain Dancing Silver Snake, Original Chi Wax Elephant", "It is already a cliff full of ice, there are still flowers and branches", "I lost my pride, Yang Jun lost willow, Yang Willow fluttered straight up to the heavy Xiaojiu", "People who tread all over the Green Mountains are not old" Chairman Mao has a lot of poems that borrow scenery to express his feelings.
However, people who love to travel so much rarely watch foreign scenery in their lives.
According to statistics, Mao Zedong only went abroad twice in his life, the destination was the Soviet Union, and these two times were not to enjoy foreign scenery, but with very important political tasks.
The first visit, in particular, was fraught with difficulties.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="62" > First, the first visit to the Soviet Union after being rejected many times</h1>
Before the official visit to the Soviet Union, Mao Zedong had already called Stalin many times to express his demands for the visit, but each time Stalin refused for various reasons.
For example, in the early period of liberation, there were many issues that needed to be discussed with Stalin during the war years, but because of the "treaty of friendship" signed between Stalin and the Kuomintang, Stalin rejected the application on the grounds that Mao Zedong's departure would adversely affect the war.
The following times, they also refused to answer under various pretexts.
Until the Chinese People's Liberation Army captured the presidential palace in Nanjing, and Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan. Soon after, Liu Shaoqi made a secret visit to the Soviet Union, which lasted for more than two months, during which Liu Shaoqi discussed with Stalin on various issues such as politics, the army, and management.
At the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, after hardships, New China was finally established under the expectations of the people of the whole country, which meant that the Kuomintang was completely defeated in the war.
The friendly agreement between Stalin and the Kuomintang lost its meaning, so two months after the founding ceremony, Stalin finally agreed to Mao Zedong's visit to the Soviet Union, which was also the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China that the country's top leader had visited abroad.
Mao Zedong's first visit to the Soviet Union was not only met with stalin's repeated rejections in the early stages, but also greatly hindered after formally agreeing. Although the Kuomintang was defeated in battle, it was still a thief,000, and when the news of Chairman Mao's imminent visit to the Soviet Union reached Chiang Kai-shek's ears, he was very angry.
Chiang Kai-shek said: "The Soviet Union has already agreed, what is the use of reporting it now?" Mao Zedong's current visit is mainly aimed at us, and no matter what the attitude of the Soviet Union is, this time you must stop this visit at all costs! In fact, all this was already expected by the Communist Party.
Therefore, Chairman Mao's travel has begun to deploy security work from the very beginning of the confirmation.
In order to prevent the travel, the Kuomintang drew up a very detailed assassination plan and sent experienced agents and killers to carry it out. According to incomplete statistics, the kuomintang used the following methods of stopping the train: human bombs bombing trains, burying explosives on the roads that must be traveled to blow up railways, and firing cold guns when clearing obstacles.
All this was recognized by our Party one by one, and Chairman Mao arrived safely in Manchuria. For the safety of Mao Zedong and to show his welcome, the chairman took a special train sent by Stalin on the journey from Manchuria to Moscow.
And, just in case, the railroads through which the train passes are locked up in advance. It was in this way that Mao Zedong finally began his first overseas visit after many rejections and multiple obstructions.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" > second, meaningful gifts</h1>
As the first trip of the supreme leader after the founding of the People's Republic of China, it is naturally of great significance. In addition to the main purpose of the trip, to discuss the abolition of the unequal Old Testament between China and the Soviet Union and to negotiate the issue of two countries governing the country, there was another thing on the trip, that is, to participate in Stalin's seventieth birthday.
Therefore, this visit, whether it is diplomatic etiquette, gifts brought by travel, and the clothes worn by the chairman have attracted the attention of the media around the world.
For all this, Mao Zedong had his own considerations.
According to international practice, the country's top leaders go out to interview, and almost all of their clothes are black suits. In order to comply with the rules, it was suggested that Chairman Mao also wear a black suit and black leather shoes to attend the meeting, which could show that even if China was a newly established country, it could still keep up with the pace of the world and would not lose its share.
But after Mao Zedong listened, he thought that the clothes should be restricted, and it would be better to be neat and clean, so he rejected the proposal. However, after Premier Zhou found out, from the perspective of international relations, he was again dissuaded, and Chairman Mao agreed to bring a black suit as a formal suit.
But his favorite clothes are gray zhongshan suits, so on the travel clothes, two sets are prepared, one black suit and one gray suit. It not only conforms to international etiquette, but also maintains its own characteristics.
The selection of gifts is also very elaborate.
Considering both between countries and Stalin's birthday, the gifts given must reflect China's sincerity and must also conform to private preferences. Therefore, the gifts prepared for the first interview in the Soviet Union were personally selected by Chairman Mao.
There were also some small episodes in the middle, Jiang Qing heard that she wanted to give gifts to the Soviet Union, she desperately wanted to show herself, she believed that the gifts must be able to reflect China's sincerity, but also must be able to represent China's image, so she intervened many times in the selection of gifts.
When Chairman Mao learned of this, he was extremely angry and ordered that the choice of gifts must be decided by himself.
The gifts eventually appeared in combinations, as many as two carriages, and there were many styles and styles. Inside, there are Shandong green onions, white radish, Chinese cabbage, Jiangxi oranges, bamboo shoots, Zhejiang Longjing, Jingdezhen ceramics, Hunan embroidery and so on.
The most intuitive feeling of so many gifts is that China is rich in land and materials, and it can show China's ability from the volume, which is also the chairman's first consideration. Among them, two gifts are of great significance, one is a green onion in Shandong and the other is a portrait of Stalin embroidered in Xiang.
Shandong green onions are famous at home and abroad, especially the green onions of Zhangqiu, which are strong and full, white and round, and the green leaves are emerald green, and are known as the "king of onions".
There are also many meanings about Shandong scallions, when the Shandong people in the outside are homesick, they will not express it directly, they will say that they miss the onions of their hometown, at this time the green onions represent the nostalgia of the wanderers; the elders praise the younger generations, and they will also send "like onions", which is the supreme praise, hoping that the younger generations will look as upright as onions, and the inside will be as pure and real as onions.
Shandong people will also hold a "beauty pageant" contest of green onions, judging the best quality green onions from multiple angles, whether it is marriage or major activities, there is always a figure of Shandong green onions. It can be seen that Shandong green onions have a very positive image whether from the external appearance or the inner meaning. The choice of Shandong scallions as a congratulatory gift is a typical manifestation of China's image.
Chairman Mao's preference is another meaning of Shandong scallions, according to legend, when Shandong people fight, if someone takes out green onions for them to eat, they will stop fighting.
The chairman was chosen because this meaning is very much in line with the current situation and relations between China and the Soviet Union.
In the Lenin era, the Soviet Union gave great help to China, and the advanced communist ideas and professional Communist Party personnel helped China out of the most confused period and gave China a bright road in the chaos; but during the Stalin period, the Soviet Union caused certain damage to China, hindered the founding of new China, and mistakenly supported the Kuomintang on the grounds that if China was to go into a civil war, it would bring the United States the opportunity to invade.
Therefore, the Soviet Union and China were both supportive and obstructive relations, especially in the environment at that time, there was always a layer of estrangement in Sino-Soviet relations. In order to eliminate this estrangement and restore friendship, Mao Zedong chose Shandong green onions as a congratulatory gift, but in fact told the Soviet Union: let go of the past and develop together.
Another representative gift is a Portrait of Stalin embroidered in Xiang. This gift was mainly used as Stalin's birthday gift, but whether it was the production process or the influence of the subsequent precipitation of time, this gift was of great significance.
During the founding period of the People's Republic of China, the production area of Xiang embroidery was still under the rule of the Kuomintang forces, and it could not be directly customized, and there was no equivalent technology in other places, so it could only be arranged quietly.
In this case, the choice of embroidery village is very difficult, the first can not be in a conspicuous place in the city, the second can not be too famous but the technology must be up to standard, under these conditions, the copper official's Yufeng embroidery village was selected as an embroidered Stalin statue.
However, when the embroidery was officially opened, many practical problems were still encountered, the most direct problem being that the embroidery village did not have Stalin's photographs, and at the same time there was no stronghold to contact the central government.
In response to these two problems, the Changsha Embroidery Peer Association played a very crucial role, and it published a message in the newspaper that a buyer in Shanghai had customized a portrait of Stalin Xiang.
Taking this as the entry point, our Party arranged for personnel to quietly enter Hunan, contact Xiuzhuang in the name of the buyer, bring Photographs of Stalin to Xiuzhuang, and at the same time secretly set up intelligence stations under the cover of business, providing a force that cannot be ignored for the liberation of Changsha.
In this way, a Portrait of Stalin representing China's unique technology was brought to Moscow in mid-December 1949 with Mao Zedong as a congratulatory gift, according to the Soviet union official: "There are many birthday gifts this time, some in the name of the state, and some in the name of individuals. ”
According to the article "Birthday Gifts for Comrade Stalin", at that time the birthday gifts were placed in the viewing room by the Soviet side, and the Chinese congratulatory gifts were placed in the most conspicuous position.
At this time, this Xiang embroidery represents a new diplomatic approach and has accelerated the repair of Sino-Soviet relations. It is worth mentioning that until now, the author of this embroidery portrait does not know who it is, but he and the embroidery village at that time have made contributions to the motherland that cannot be ignored, and this strength, like countless nameless soldiers, will always be remembered by New China.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="62" >3, difficult negotiations and successful results</h1>
Mao Zedong's first interview with the Soviet Union was smooth, but the process was tortuous. Although Mao Zedong's visit to Moscow was greeted by Stalin with a special train, and the gifts he gave were placed in the most conspicuous position in the exhibition hall, the serious matter of the negotiations was treated negatively by the Soviet side, which made the chairman very distressed and angry.
Mao Zedong enjoyed the treatment he deserved at Stalin's birthday party, but he also began to show embarrassment. This was because the person in charge arranged his seat next to Stalin, showing full respect, but Stalin's expression was slightly cold throughout.
However, before the visit, Chairman Mao had already made certain psychological preparations, and the first visit was still a country with some estrangement at present, and the ups and downs were bound to be encountered, so he did not pay attention to the "cold treatment" at the banquet.
The day after the banquet, the Chinese side proposed to meet again, this time the meeting was arranged in Stalin's villa, the meeting environment is relatively warm, the exchange between the two people also went relatively smoothly, from the current analysis of international forms to the governance and development of the country.
The meeting lasted nearly 5 hours, but Stalin still did not mention the issue of the treaty between China and the Soviet Union, which was the main purpose of Mao Zedong's visit to the Soviet Union.
Therefore, the meeting ended with regret, and Mao Zedong, who returned to his residence, no longer suppressed his anger, and when the head of the Soviet side invited him to carry out the next activity, he directly became angry: "Did I come to the Soviet Union only to wish Stalin a happy birthday, and there was no progress in other work, and the Soviet Union solved the problem in this way?" ”
In fact, two hours after the founding ceremony, Stalin had already sent a telegram congratulating the founding of the People's Republic of China, and also expressed his apologies for his previous practices, and even earlier, before the founding of the country, Stalin had admitted his mistakes.
However, during the formal interview, it was still held on the shelf and the cold treatment method was adopted.
Mao Zedong, who had experienced the previous two perfunctory attitudes, also hardened at this time, no longer participated in any activities held by the Soviet Union, and remained closed, and the leaders of the two countries invisibly confronted each other.
The interview attracted the attention of the whole world, so the media of many countries sent people to Moscow, stalin and Mao Zedong such a confrontation naturally concealed the sensitive sense of smell of the reporter, some media took the lead in writing: "Mao Zedong was put under house arrest by Stalin." ”
Such an impactful headline finally forced Stalin to take the initiative to start a conversation with Mao Zedong.
The negotiations finally returned to important issues, and the treaty of friendship signed between the Soviet Union and the Kuomintang was officially abrogated, but in fact Stalin was mainly considering the attitude of the United States in addition to considering the face of the world.
But stalin was reassured by a U.S. document claiming that the United States was preparing to withdraw from the Chinese civil war, which made Stalin feel that the United States was rearranging its Asian policy and that the new Soviet-Chinese treaty would not create new international problems.
Synthesizing international relations and public opinion, Stalin had a deep conversation with Mao Zedong and later summoned Premier Zhou to sign a new Sino-Soviet treaty of friendship.
Mao Zedong's first overseas visit drew a satisfactory end here, new China was relatively weak at the beginning, both domestic and international faced with various threats and challenges, but the people of the whole country under the leadership of the party, not humble, calm and calm, resourceful and brave to deal with, to solve one difficult problem after another, the People's Republic of China, with the efforts of all people, has become stronger and better.