Emerging Nations in the Cold War

Emerging nations could be the playthings of the superpowers during the cold war, but they could also benefit from the rivalry. When Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser refused U.S. military aid in the 1950s because of the supervision the United States demanded, Nasser turned to the Soviets and received not only military support but also a low-interest loan for the Aswan Dam—the kind of development project undertaken by emerging nations to provide power and water for both agriculture and industry. In 1964, Nasser (right), Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and Algerian president Ahmed Ben Bella inaugurated the opening of the dam. (Rue des Archives / The Granger Collection, NYC—All rights reserved.)