Abstract
The Cold War, despite its central focus on the U.S.–Soviet rivalry, marked a period of rapid geopolitical and ideological transformation in the Third World. These changes were best exemplified by radical revolutionary movements that swept across the African continent. For revolutionary leaders, the spread of anti-colonial, socialist, and nationalist ideas represented more than rhetorical sentiments; they had their own visions of sovereignty and self-determination. Although rooted in shared Third-Worldist, Pan-Africanist, and non-aligned principles, these leaders and their ideas reflected significant variation in approaches to diplomacy, the use of force, and the scope of Pan-African solidarity, which profoundly shaped the nature and extent of their support for fellow Third World liberation movements. Through an examination of revolutionary leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Ahmed Ben Bella, and Fidel Castro, this paper seeks to evaluate the successes and shortcomings of Third World leaders in their efforts to dismantle imperialist structures and create independent paths for nascent Africa states, amidst the polarized Cold War ideological framework of communism versus capitalism. Using the case studies of Ghana, Algeria, and Cuba, I aim to highlight their pivotal roles in the provision of civil and military support to liberation movements throughout the second half of the 20th century. Their ideological convictions empowered the reclamation of agency for Third World states and reasserted African sovereignty in the Cold War landscape, creating new strategies for independence in a transforming world order.
Recommended Citation
Ohs, Evelyn. "Ideological Independence in the Third World: Legacies in Resistance and Anti-Colonial Aid in 20th Century Africa." The Purdue Historian 12, 1 (2025). https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/puhistorian/vol12/iss1/4
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