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East Asia
In East Asia, China fell to the Communists in 1949. The countries around 'Red China' hurried to form alliances either with the US or with each other against the threat. It is often noted that Japan (though not technically a developing country in the 1950s, but still struggling to rebuild after WW2) was helped in this respect by the conflict in Korea, which boosted Japanese exports - an oft-quoted example being early transistor radios for American GIs. South Korea itself directly received large amounts of US aid.
South East Asia
In South East Asia, the Cold War had widely differing effects. Vietnam suffered several decades of bloody conflict that cost the lives of millions of Vietnamese people, as the US and its allies tried - ultimately unsuccessfully - to prevent reunification of the country under a Communist government. This conflict spilled over into Laos and Cambodia, which also both turned Communist in the mid 1970s (at the same time as the war in Vietnam ended). In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge, in attempting to implement an agrarian 'workers' paradise', killed millions of Cambodians through starvation and genocide - a legacy that means that Cambodia still ranks among the world's poorest countries.
In neighbouring Thailand though, the story was happier - American aid, economic and military, flowed in to prevent this 'bastion of democracy' from falling to Communism. This led to high economic growth, and Communism was successfully repulsed. Many note though that, ironically, in order to keep Communism out and 'democracy' in, the country was ruled for most of the latter 20th Century by a military junta (which only last year - 2006 - seized power again from the democratically elected government) Others note that increased Western influence in Thailand - in particular the presence of US Military personnel - led directly to the rise of HIV AIDS and the sex industry in Thailand.
A similar story to the Philippines, where US support kept the highly corrupt and undemocratic Marcos in power for a generation. Like Thailand however, this must be viewed against a story of fairly high economic growth.
Further to the south in South East Asia, Malaysia (with British military assistance) successfully crushed a Communist insurgency in a long 'Emergency' that lasted over the 1950s. With Communism crushed, Malaysia successfully implemented a high growth strategy that even now propels it forwards in terms of economic growth, but as with Thailand, it's democratic records is more questionable. Indonesia's brutal suppression of domestic Communists (with a massive death toll) was so bloody as to equal some of the worst excesses of Communism elsewhere.
Central and South America
In Central (and to a lesser extent South) America, the struggle against Communism and Communist insurgencies lead to US interventions which often resulted in protracted and bloody civil wars.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Across sub-Saharan Africa did the Cold War have perhaps the most enduring negative impact on the developing world. Cold War rivalries encountered newly-independent countries still struggling to find their feet. Both Communists and the 'Free World' found their champions in either the governments or 'freedom movements' in each particular country. Arms, money and other forms of support flowed, and the picture was (and still is) complicated further by the resource-rich nature of many of the countries involved. The results were often catastrophic - Angola, for example, suffered one of the longest conflicts in modern history. Unlike in certain parts of East and South East Asia, there were very few Cold War 'success stories' in sub-Saharan Africa, as superpower interference had a negative influence almost everywhere.
Further reading
The seminal work on the effects of the Cold War on developing countries is Odd Arne Westad's 'The Global Cold War'. Published by Cambridge University Press, ISBN-13: 9780521853644.
What else can I help you with?
Durning the cold war how would you describe most third world countries?
Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Angola, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Cuba, and perhaps others in which armed conflicts were fought. Some Third World countries, although wars were not fought in them, were still part of the Cold War.
Could the Cold War be called the Third World War and why or why not?
The cold war from the point of view of the people and country's that were being literally destroyed was certainly not the Third world war. However from the point of view of those that make cold hard cash and gain power it was actually better then the second world war.
What two countries were involved in the cold war after the world war was over?
The Soviet Union and the United States .
The contest for world leadership that began after world war 2?
The Cold War. The two superpowers that were in the world as of 1945, Soviet and the United States, were governed by two different styles of government, Communism and Democracy. The Soviets, wanting more countries to trade with (its normal trade being to democratic countries, who boycotted all trade with the U.S.S.R), wanted the government type of Communism to spread into other countries that were either democratic or republics. Countries that were democratic, particularly the United States, wanted to stop this. The Soviets began funding and arming Communist, forces in different countries. these led to the reign of Fidel Castro in Cuba, the Vietnam War, Korean War, and a Communist government in China, among others.
The occupation of these countries by the Soviet Union contributed to the development of the Cold War by?
The occupation and resources of some countries by the Soviet Union contributed to the development of the Cold War. This is because they did not know what weapons the countries were making.
What fraction of the world's countries are third world countries?
There is no universally accepted definition of "third world country" as it was a term used during the Cold War to categorize countries based on political ideologies. However, based on common understanding, roughly one-third of the world's countries could be considered third world countries.
What is the impact of cold war in third world countries?
Each Third World country had a different experience in the Cold War, but those which were lined up with one side or the other at least managed to exist in peace. Those which could not take a definite side were torn apart by internal conflict.
How would most third world countries be accurately described during the cold war?
Nonaligned
Where doid Third world term come from?
The expression "the third world" came about during the Cold War - it referred then to countries which were not within the sphere of influence of either America or Russia. From that it came to refer to the 'underdeveloped' countries of the world.
Is Trinidad and tobago third world?
Yes.. Trinidad and Tobago is a third world country; however, it should be regarded as a Developing Country, as First World, Second World and Third World were terms resulting out of the Cold War. First World Countries are regarded as highly developed countries Second World Countries are Communist Countries and Countries of the fallen Soviet Union Third World refers to Developing countries and Underdeveloped countries.
What is the third world nation?
During the Cold War, countries that allied themselves with the US and NATO were known as the 1st world. Countries that allied with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact were the 2nd world. Countries that stayed nonaligned and neutral became known as the 3rd world. Today, third world nations refer to the poorest countries in the world.
What is another name for the third world countries during the cold war?
Non-aligned nations Buffer States
What tactics were used by the superpowers during the Cold War to influence Third World nations?
The union with allied countries.
Is Kenya first second or third world country?
There are no official definitions for first, second, or third world countries. The terms originated during the Cold War, but today, "third world" is often used to describe undedeveloped or developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, of which Kenya is one, so it most closely fits the connotation of a "third world country."
What did the Cold War the Third World consisted of?
Many third world countries are dormant players in the cold war. Since the cold war is mostly about outshining the other principle in making new weapons, superior vehicles and new achievements like space exploration, the third war countries are not major participants.
Are there any first world countries in Africa?
First, Second, and Third World countries are terms used in the Cold War, but also used in modern day to represent development. First World nations can mean countries sided with the US during the Cold War or a highly developed country. So in Cold War terms, yes; Angola, Somalia, and Mauritius are considered first world nations. And in terms of development, yes; the Seychelles, Libya, and Mauritius are considered first world nations.
How many third world countries are there in the world?
There is no universally agreed upon definition of "third world countries." The term was originally used during the Cold War to categorize countries that were not aligned with NATO or the Communist Bloc. Today, the term is considered outdated and often replaced with terms like "developing countries" or "low-income countries."
