Soviet Strategy in the Third World and Nicaragua
Abstract
The Soviet Union first became interested in the so-called Third World countries in the mid-1950s under Khrushchev. The failure of Soviet policies led to major reorientation of Soviet Third World policy and a new strategy was formulated, designed to avoid the pitfalls of the past and reflect Moscow's growing global assertiveness. The new strategy rejected the previous emphasis on peaceful transition, i.e., through elections to socialism, which was now said to result in the degeneration of revolutionaries into parliamentary cretinism, and advocated direct revolutionary action instead. Once a regime dependent on Soviet help has been established, the new strategy calls for a prompt and radical transformation of the traditional socio-political and economic structures along Marxist-Leninist lines under Soviet bloc guidance. Once in power, the revolutionaries' allowance with the Soviets becomes essential because it guarantees them military and political security, a certain international legitimacy as a result of the vociferous acclaim of the Socialist bloc, and most importantly a proven system for the political control of potentially hostile populations. It is within this context that Soviet involvement in the developments in Nicaragua and Central America need to be examined.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA121335
Entities
People
- Alex Alexiev
Organizations
- RAND Corporation