ABSTRACT
In the second half of the twentieth century, many smaller industrialized nations and larger developing countries built substantial military industrial complexes.They did so for diverse reasons – to ensure supply in the face of regional threats (South and North Korea, Israel, Egypt), to chart a third course between the superpowers (China, India), to overcome arms embargoes (South Africa) and for reasons of national pride. Often, the resources devoted to maintaining these industries were committed at the expense of other civilian development needs in social services, education, and public infrastructure.
