ABSTRACT
In Washington’s view, the tumultuous process of de-colonialization, and the economic, social, and political backwardness of the new nations, made them vulnerable to communist penetration. As a global power that sought to create and secure an international order hospitable to its interests, the United States saw developments in the Third World as critical to American security. America’s frustrating and costly experience on the Korean peninsula between 1950 and 1953 reinforced Washington’s perception that events in what had once been considered the ‘periphery’ could have dangerous consequences. For the remainder of the Cold War, the United States worked to prevent the communist powers from expanding their influence in the developing world.
