Three Worlds Theory

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Maoism Basic concepts Marxism-Leninism Anti-Revisionism 3 Worlds Theory Social-imperialism Mass line People's war New Democracy Prominent Maoists Mao Zedong Prachanda Bob Avakian Zhang Chunqiao José María Sison Abimael Guzmán Charu Majumdar Jiang Qing İbrahim Kaypakkaya Pierre Mulele International tendencies Conference of M-L Parties and Organizations Revolutionary Internationalist Movement Parties Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany Communist Party of India (Maoist) Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Communist Party of Peru Communist Party of the Philippines Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers / Reorganizative Movement of the Party of the Proletariat Related subjects Communist Party of China Cultural Revolution Little Red Book Naxalism

The Three Worlds theory is a theory developed by former Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong that suggests that the world is politically and economically divided into three worlds. Mao's theory differs significantly from the traditional ideal of "third world". According to Mao, the first world consists of the superpowers, the second world of the wealthy allies of the superpowers, and the third world of the nonaligned nations. It is notable for grouping the United States and Soviet Union together as exploiter nations. Former Communist Party General Secretary and Central Military Commission Chairman Deng Xiaoping brought this view to the world in his 1974 speech to the United Nations. It was used to justify Chinese alliances with right-wing reactionary governments during the late 1970s and 1980s.

From an interview with Mao Zedong:

Mao: Who belongs to the First World?

Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda: I think it ought to be a world of exploiters and imperialists.

Mao: And the Second World?

Kaunda: Those who have become revisionists.

Mao: I hold that the U.S. and the Soviet Union belong to the First World. The middle elements, such as Japan, Europe, Australia and Canada, belong to the Second World. We are the Third World.

Kaunda: I agree with your analysis, Mr. Chairman.

Mao: The U.S. and the Soviet Union have a lot of atomic bombs, and they are richer. Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada, of the Second World, do not possess so many atomic bombs and are not so rich as the First World, but richer than the Third World. What do you think of this explanation?

Kaunda: Mr. Chairman, your analysis is very pertinent and correct.

[edit] See also

v • d • e Economic classification of countries Developed country · Developing country · Least developed country · High income country · Newly industrialized country · Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Worlds Theory First World · Second World · Third World · Fourth World Lists of countries GDP per capita List of countries by GDP (nominal), (per capita) · List of countries by GDP (PPP), (per capita), (per hour) Human Development Index List of countries by Human Development Index Human Poverty Index List of countries by percentage of population living in poverty Literacy rate List of countries by literacy rate

[edit] External links

• http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv10n1/mao.htm
• http://maoist.wikia.com/wiki/Three_Worlds_Theory (contains exchange above, also without exact attribution)
• http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ziliao/3602/3604/t18008.htm
• http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/deng-xiaoping/1974/04/10.htm