Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, against the backdrop of the Cold War, the then-Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and Maoist China sought to extend their influence over Southeast Asia, including in Singapore. Elements like the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) used strategies of armed violence such as the armed revolt in the 1948 Malayan Emergency and united front tactics (such as mobilising the masses) to subvert organisations like trade unions, political parties and student groups.