1. Lecture 12: The Third World in the Cold War
February 2, 2009

2. Background to Interventions
Decolonization

4. Background to Interventions
Decolonization
Third world as conceptual entity
Non-alignment (Bandung Conference, 1955)

5. Bandung Conference, 1955

6. Background to Interventions
Decolonization
Third world as conceptual entity
Non-alignment (Bandung Conference, 1955)
Competing economic models
ContainmentNSC-68

7. How to Implement Containment?
Cumulativity of resources
Does (informal) empire increase power?
Domino Theory
Invasion/aid
Inspiration
Intimidation
Credibility
US as reliable protector
Soviets emboldened

8. Emboldening today
“Now, when so much progress is being made, is no time to turn tail and leave Iraq... It is a dangerous illusion to suppose that another retreat by the civilized world would satisfy the appetite of the terrorists and get them to leave us alone…In fact, such a move would only embolden the terrorists...A precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would be a victory for the terrorists, an invitation to further violence against free nations and a terrible blow to the future security of the United States of America.”

9. Means Occupation Military aid Coups/assassinations Money/arms
Disinformation

10. Problems with Regime Change
Anti-Communists not necessarily democratic
Local civil wars already vicious
Leftist insurgencies rooted in economics
 Unintended consequences

11. US Interventions Indonesia 1965 (nationalism)
Cambodia 1969 (anti-communism)
Chile 1973 (mining - nationalism)
Angola (anti-communism)
E Timor 1975 (nationalism)
Afghanistan 1979 (anti-USSR)
El Salvador (nationalism)
Libya 1981 (anti-terrorism?)
Grenada 1983 (anti-communism)
Nicaragua 1987 (anti-socialist)
Panama 1989 (canal & anti-drugs)
Iraq 1991 (oil)
Somalia 1993 (humanitarian)
Bosnia 1999 (humanitarian)
Afghanistan 2002 (anti-terrorism)
Iraq 2003 (?)
China 1945 (anti-communist)
Greece 1947, 64 (anti-communist)
Philippines 1945 (fruit, nationalism)
S Korea 1945 (anti-communist)
Albania (anti-communist)
S Korea 1950 (anti-communist)
Iran 1953 (oil, nationalism)
Guatemala 1954 (fruit, nationalism)
Indonesia 1957 (nationalism)
Guyana 1953 (leftist president)
Vietnam 1954 (anti-communist)
Cambodia 1955 (nationalism)
Congo 1960 (mining)
Cuba 1961 (sugar & nationalism)
Brazil 1961 (nationalism)
Dominican Rep 1963 (nationalism)
Vietnam (anti-communist)

12. Coup in Iran, 1953: “successful”

13. Bay of Pigs (Cuba), 1961: failed