Ideological Tug of War
OER PROJECT: WH ORIGINS/ LESSON 8.9 OPENERIDEOLOGICAL TUG OF WARUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Ideological Tug of War”, OER Project, www.oerproject.com/1PurposeThis opener will help you get a sense of the difficult decisions that leaders of smaller countries had to make when navigating the complex international politics of the Cold War and decolonization.Process1.Consider the following scenario: The year is 1962, and you are the newly appointed leader of Indara, a fictional nation in Asia that has just gained its independence. Your country is rich in natural resources. However, your nation is struggling with an unstable economy, aging infrastructure, and lack of access to quality education. As the world is in the thick of the Cold War, you must decide whether to align with the United States, align with the Soviet Union, or remain unaligned.Diplomats from the USA and USSR have reached out to you with offers of economic aid and political alliances. Representatives from other newly independent nations are encouraging you to stay neutral and avoid taking sides with either superpower. The future of Indara is in your hands.2.Choose one of the options in the table below. Circle your choice. Option 1: Align with the United StatesOption 2: Align with the Soviet UnionOption 3: Remain UnalignedThe United States is offering to support Indara’s economy with investments in infrastructure, education, and agriculture. They pledge military support to defend against threats to Indara’s national security but say Indara must adopt capitalist policies, open up to trade, and provide military support, if needed.The Soviet Union is offering to help industrialize Indara by building factories and providing military equipment to strengthen Indara’s defenses. They support the redistribution of land and wealth to promote equality and require the establishment of a one-party communist government.Staying neutral means avoiding direct alliances with either superpower, which means Indara will be free to make its own political decisions. However, this means limited access to foreign aid. However, this means limited access to foreign aid and does not guarantee that in the future, the superpowers won't pressure Indara to choose a side.
OER PROJECT: WH ORIGINS/ LESSON 8.9 OPENERIDEOLOGICAL TUG OF WAR23.Explain your choice. Include the possible benefits and challenges associated with the options, along with why you think the choice you made will be most beneficial for the future of Indara.4.How might your choice affect Indara’s relationship with other newly independent nations in Asia?