Union in almost every political construct. The Russians were afraid of Japanese imperialism, and believed that if they came to the aid of the struggling Chinese communist party, they would prevent the onslaught of Japanese aggression in Asia. After the early attempts to cement ties in the guise of the Karakhan treaties, the Soviet influence in China continued to grow. "Initiating and presiding over these epoch making events was the dominant personality of Dr. Sun Yat sen."2 The Soviets aided the Kuomintang, especially in the manner in which this was in line with the Marxist doctrine of creating international revolution. The 1920s and 1930s continued to be characterized by both positive and negative gains on both sides of the border. Within the Soviet Union, civil strife, growing problems of industrialization, coupled
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