Page 29 - Encyclopedia Of World History

cold war 379

Developing Nations
and the Cold War

During the Cold War era, economic development
were further complicated by the political interests of the was a key issue for many developing nations. In
United States and the Soviet Union, both of whom val- April, 1955 delegates from 29 Asian and African
ued the region, partly because of the vast oil resources in nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia and reached
the Middle East. Its strategic location and vast production the following agreement on economic cooperation.
of petroleum made the Middle East of value to all indus-
The Asian-African Conference recognized the
trialized nations. The United States contributed money
urgency of promoting economic development in
and material aid to the Israeli government and intervened
the Asian-African region. There was general
in the area in an attempt to maintain its interests, both
desire for economic cooperation among the par-
economic and military, in the area while the Soviet Union
ticipating countries on the basis of mutual inter-
fought and lost a war in Afghanistan.
est and respect for national sovereignty. The
proposals with regard to the economic cooper-
Latin America
ation within the participating countries do not
The United States had inaugurated a policy of noninter-
preclude either the desirability or the need for
vention in Latin America in the 1930s but reversed this
cooperation with countries outside the region,
policy after World War II. Communist movements and
including the investment of foreign capital. It
fear of the spread of Communism in addition to eco-
was further recognized that the assistance being
nomic interests in the area were primarily responsible for
received by certain participating countries from
the change in policy. In Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz
outside the region, through international or
Guzmán came to power and began to reduce the influ-
under bilateral agreements, had made a valuable
ence and interests of U.S. businesses. The United Fruit
contribution to the implementation of their
Company, controlled by U.S. interests, noted that the
development programmes.
Communists were involved in the changes and asked for
assistance. A U.S.-led military operation successfully Source: Kahin, G. M. (1955). The Asian-African Conference, Bandung, Indonesia,
April, 1955 (p. 76). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
deposed Arbenz Guzmán and the new government
repealed his land reform measures and jailed and mur-
dered Communists.A small guerrilla movement of Com- America. Although Castro failed to bring other Commu-
munists and other nationalists emerged and violence nist governments to power in Latin America, his alliance
continued for three decades. with the Soviet Union brought the world to the edge of
In 1959, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, enact- a nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis.The Soviet
ing a social and political revolution in Cuba based on Union had agreed to install missiles in Cuba and to sup-
Marxist ideas. He also initiated land reform, seizing all port Castro against further actions by the United States.
land from owners who had more than 165 acres. Eco- In response, President John Kennedy ordered a naval
nomic sanctions by the United States and other countries blockade of Cuba, to prevent missiles from being sent to
who refused to trade with Cuba caused a rapid decline in Cuba. Ultimately, Nikita Khrushchev backed down and
the Cuban economy. agreed to dismantle existing sites and pledged not to
Cuba became a key nation in the Cold War struggle install missiles at a future date.This direct confrontation
between the United States and the Soviet Union. The and the realization of how close the world had come to
United States attempted to overthrow Castro by landing nuclear war led to the installation of a direct phone line
Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. After this failed between the United States and the Soviet Union and sub-
invasion, Castro sought protection from the Soviet Union sequently to a thaw in relations and talks regarding the
and vowed to spread Communism to other areas in Latin reduction of nuclear arms.