In the early 1960s, which leader publicly encouraged wars of national liberation in the third world?

In the early 1960s, which leader publicly encouraged wars of national liberation in the third world?

• A. Dwight D. Eisenhower
• B. Nikita Khrushchev
• C. Mao Zedong
• D. Fidel Castro

Answer: (B)

This question tests how Cold War powers viewed decolonization and the ways they supported anti‑colonial movements. In the early 1960s, the Soviet leader openly framed anti‑colonial struggles in Asia, Africa, and beyond as legitimate wars of national liberation and urged support for these movements as a means to weaken Western colonial powers and spread socialism. This stance—endorsement and backing of armed struggles as a path to independence—was a defining part of Khrushchev’s foreign policy in that era. Eisenhower focused on containing communism rather than backing liberation wars; Mao emphasized China’s own revolutionary strategy rather than a broad, public call for Third World liberation wars; Fidel Castro promoted Cuba’s revolutionary project and solidarity with other movements, but did not articulate the same global program of national-liberation wars in the Third World during the early 1960s.

This question tests how Cold War powers viewed decolonization and the ways they supported anti‑colonial movements. In the early 1960s, the Soviet leader openly framed anti‑colonial struggles in Asia, Africa, and beyond as legitimate wars of national liberation and urged support for these movements as a means to weaken Western colonial powers and spread socialism. This stance—endorsement and backing of armed struggles as a path to independence—was a defining part of Khrushchev’s foreign policy in that era. Eisenhower focused on containing communism rather than backing liberation wars; Mao emphasized China’s own revolutionary strategy rather than a broad, public call for Third World liberation wars; Fidel Castro promoted Cuba’s revolutionary project and solidarity with other movements, but did not articulate the same global program of national-liberation wars in the Third World during the early 1960s.