Podcast / American Prestige / Apr 15, 2025

The Sino-Soviet Split, Part 1

On this episode of American Prestige, Jeremy Friedman on the relationship between China and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Sino-Soviet Split, Pt. 1 w/ Jeremy Friedman | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Please listen to our Sino-Soviet primer episode for some background!

On this episode of American Prestige, Danny and Derek welcome back Jeremy Friedman, assistant professor in the Business, Government, and International Economy at Harvard, to talk about the Sino-Soviet Split. They lay out the state of play in the mid-1950s, the potential for détente, how the two powers are reconciling with their increasingly competing interests, the implications for the Soviet Union’s image among other communists in the wake of Khrushchev’s “secret speech”, theoretical transformations in what communism means during this period, how decolonization plays into the split, why Khrushchev pulled Soviet aid when China needed it most, and more through the mid-1960s.

Grab a copy of Jeremy’s bookShadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World!

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Nikita S. Khrushchev (right) chatting with Mao Zedong.

(Bettmann Archive / Getty Images)

On this episode of American Prestige, we welcome back Jeremy Friedman, assistant professor of business, government, and international economy at Harvard, to talk about the Sino-Soviet split. He lays out the state of play in the mid-1950s, the potential for détente, how the two powers are reconciling with their increasingly competing interests, the implications for the Soviet Union’s image among other communists in the wake of Khrushchev’s “secret speech,” theoretical transformations in what communism means during this period, how decolonization plays into the split, why Khrushchev pulled Soviet aid when China needed it most, and more through the mid-1960s.

Please listen to our Sino-Soviet primer episode for some background!

Grab a copy of Jeremy’s book Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World!

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Political Power of Police Unions w/ Stuart Schrader / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek speak with historian Stuart Schrader about the history and political power of police unions in the US. They discuss the rise of police unions in the 1960s, their relationship with organized labor, resistance to the civil rights movement and affirmative action, the role of race in policing, bipartisan support for policing and the 1990s crime bills, the growing political influence of the Border Patrol union, and the future of police reform and abolition.

Get your copy of Stuart’s book Blue Power: How Police Organize to Protect and Serve Themselves.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

More from The Nation

Taking Data Centers to Court—With Martha Dark

Taking Data Centers to Court—With Martha Dark Taking Data Centers to Court—With Martha Dark

Paris Marx is joined by Martha Dark to discuss how legal challenges are holding data centers accountable, strengthening oversight, and challenging Big Tech’s narratives.

Podcast / Tech Won't Save Us

Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 12, 2026, in New York City.

The Only Eastern Conference NBA Preview You Need The Only Eastern Conference NBA Preview You Need

Arya Shirazi joins us again for our annual NBA preseason predictions.

Dave Zirin

National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez endorses Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Findlay Toyota Center on October 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Arizona.

The Political Power of Police Unions—With Stuart Schrader The Political Power of Police Unions—With Stuart Schrader

Stuart Schrader joins Danny and Derek to explore the history and political influence of police unions, their relationship to organized labor, and the future of police reform.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo delivers remarks as President Donald Trump listens during an event at Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa on August 5, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

GOP Election Deniers Running for Governor— Plus John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” GOP Election Deniers Running for Governor— Plus John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”

On this episode of Start Making Sense, Harold Meyerson analyzes Democrats’ key campaigns for governor, and John Powers comments on critic and writer John Berger.

Jon Wiener

Audience members walk out of the Metropolitan Development Commission meeting on March 4, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana, after a one-month continuance was granted for the hearing of the Metroblocks data center in the Martindale Brightwood community.

Dispatch From the Front Lines of the Data Center Wars—With Ben Inskeep & Bryce Gustafson Dispatch From the Front Lines of the Data Center Wars—With Ben Inskeep & Bryce Gustafson

Data centers and AI, AI and data centers. We all know how pivotal these issues have become. But lots of the analysis on these topics has been coming from pundits who are the farthe…

Podcast / Fighting Fascism

Demonstrators protest outside the US Supreme Court as justices hear the “Suncor v. Boulder” climate case in Washington, DC, on October 5, 2026.

Why SCOTUS Is Climate Action’s Biggest Threat—With Elie Mystal Why SCOTUS Is Climate Action’s Biggest Threat—With Elie Mystal

“If you don’t control the Supreme Court, you don’t control anything.”

Shilpi Chhotray

x