t160hq
12-22-2004, 12:07 AM
This sounded just too bizare to be true. Seems it is though.
I picked political for this but maybe it should go under humor?
t160hq
In July of 58, Krushchev went to Beijing for secret meetings with Mao.
Mao was pissed off in that he felt the USSR expected China to play second
banana.
There are arguments back and forth about what happened, but it appears
that Krushchev wanted peaceful coexistence with the U.S., while Mao
wanted nothing to do with any part of the world that wasn't communist.
So as soon as Krushchev left, Mao sent an international response to his
peace initiative - he started shelling Kinmen and Matsu Islands, both under
Taiwan's control.
The Taiwanese retaliated and it went on for 44 days. This is the famous
Quemoy Incident. Quemoy is another name for Kinmen.
Because the U.S. had signed an agreement for American protection of
Taiwan, Eisenhower moved ships into the Straits and it looked like
another war.
On October 25, Mao recommended a deal - if the U.S. would stay away,
they would set up a bombing schedule with Taiwan. Which, unbelievably,
they did.
For the next 20 years, China shelled the island on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday. They shelled back on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Everyone took Sunday off.
Believe it or not, this went on for 20 years. And who's to say it didn't
avoid a bigger war?
No one knows how many Mainlanders died, but it was 587 on the ROC side.
I picked political for this but maybe it should go under humor?
t160hq
In July of 58, Krushchev went to Beijing for secret meetings with Mao.
Mao was pissed off in that he felt the USSR expected China to play second
banana.
There are arguments back and forth about what happened, but it appears
that Krushchev wanted peaceful coexistence with the U.S., while Mao
wanted nothing to do with any part of the world that wasn't communist.
So as soon as Krushchev left, Mao sent an international response to his
peace initiative - he started shelling Kinmen and Matsu Islands, both under
Taiwan's control.
The Taiwanese retaliated and it went on for 44 days. This is the famous
Quemoy Incident. Quemoy is another name for Kinmen.
Because the U.S. had signed an agreement for American protection of
Taiwan, Eisenhower moved ships into the Straits and it looked like
another war.
On October 25, Mao recommended a deal - if the U.S. would stay away,
they would set up a bombing schedule with Taiwan. Which, unbelievably,
they did.
For the next 20 years, China shelled the island on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday. They shelled back on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Everyone took Sunday off.
Believe it or not, this went on for 20 years. And who's to say it didn't
avoid a bigger war?
No one knows how many Mainlanders died, but it was 587 on the ROC side.