THE NON-ALIGNED
STATES AND THE
COLD WAR
Background
• Those that rejected superpower
alliances
• Third World
• Massive decolonization after
World War II in Africa and Asia
• Seized opportunities to resist
imperialists
• Many of these states were antiAmerican, accused of neocolonialism
• Informal imperialism, spheres of
influence
• Similar feelings on USSR
• Non-Aligned Movement NAM
feared nuclear exchange
Aims of the NAM
• Autonomy
• Used openings to ally with either the
US or USSR to their advantage
• If pressure from one became too great,
they would threaten to ally with the
other
• Represented a good portion of the
UN
• Shifted the balance of power in the
General Assembly
• Non-Aligned Movement in the UN
formed in 1961, 115 states
• Group of 77, established in 1964
• Put pressure on industrial nations, needed
economic aid
• Always seeking influence during smaller
wars
Early Successes of the NAM
• Tito a communist in Yugoslavia
• Did not want to give up
sovereignty
• Took aid from the US but resisted
capitalism
• Ensured Stalin would not be
aggressive, fear of US
• US Navy near by
• Invited Khrushchev for a visit in
1953
• Asked for Tito’s blessing in Hungarian
uprising
• Soviets took great trouble to get
there
Growth of the NAM
• India and China important
• US had backed Pakistan
• NAM a way of India and Nehru
striking back
• Potential leadership role in NAM
• Sino-Soviet split, China joins NAM
• Avoid hegemony
• Portray itself as the leader of newly
liberated states
• Thought NAM could work with Marxism
• First NAM conference in 1955
• Initiated by Tito, supported by Zhou Enlai and Nehru
• Increase membership, concern over
arms race, ‘peaceful resolution’
Nasser and NAM
• Also at the conference
• Had the US fund the construction
of the Aswan Dam
• Bought arms from Czechoslovakia
• Suez Canal Crisis the result
• Kept the canal, humiliated the colonial
powers, checked his involvement with
the US and USSR and emerged as the
leader of Arab nationalism
• Demonstrated the superpowers
could not always push smaller
states around
NAM in the 60s and 70s
• Goals
• Encourage solidarity
• Warn superpowers against spreading Cold
War
• Apply pressure against war
• Counter imperialism
• Restructure world economic order
• 1961 summit, letters to both Kennedy
and Khrushchev
• 1962, power hurt with Sino-Indian border
war
• 1970 second summit, many key leaders
have died, many nations moving towards
USSR
• US could not offer too much support,
could not believe movement towards
socialism
• Soviet promises of aid
• 1979 summit, Castro suggests natural
alliance with the USSR
NAM in the 80s and 90s
• NAM turned against each other
with Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan
• Muslim versus USSR-friendlies
• By 1980s, Third World was no
longer meaningful
• All at different points of development
• Focus shifted away from politics to
economic issues
• Essentially a product of the Cold
War
• Struggling to remain relevant
CHALLENGES TO
SOVIET CONTROL
1945-1980
Introduction
• Stalin established control
throughout 1940s
• One-party rule dependent on USSR
• Nationalization of private enterprise
• Collectivization of industry and
agriculture (Five Year Plans)
• Integration of economies
• Social and ideological controls
• Censorship of media
• Suppression of religious freedom
• Military presence of Soviet troops
• Political purges
Yugoslavia
• Successful resistance against the
Germans in WWII
• Marshal Tito one of the resistance
leaders
• Leader of Communist republic in
1945
• Stalin cut off economic aid in 1948
• Tito not affected
• Full contact with the West began
• Stalin responded by East European
purges of Titoists
• Paved the way for other
challenges
East Germany
•
•
•
•
Riots in 1953
Exodus from East to West
Thoughts of selling it to the West
Softening of collectivization
policies came too late
• High production targets
• Workers in Berlin revolt
• Quickly suppressed by the Red
Army
• Embarrassment
• Possibility of neutrality gone
• Now buildup of the GDR
Khrushchev and His Challenges
• De-Stalinization led to loss of
respect elsewhere in the world
• Had to use more force than ever in
Hungary though
• Restored relations with Tito, not
much help
• Revolt of workers in Poland in 1956
• Polish Communist Party back to
power, de-Stalinizing
• Khrushchev mobilized the Army
• Poland agreed to remain in Warsaw
Pact
• Calmed Khrushchev down
• Allowed Wladyslaw Gomulka to
remain in power
• COMPROMISE!?!?!?
Khrushchev and His Challenges
• Did not compromise over Hungary
• Repressive regime of Matyas Rakoski
• Riots, Red Army failed to crush them
• Moderate Imre Nagy negotiates their removal
• Announced Hungary would leave the Warsaw
Pact and share power with non-Communist
groups
• Khrushchev can’t tolerate this
• Suez Canal Crisis happening, launches
offensive against Hungarians
• 20,000 killed, 3,000 Red Army
• Nagy executed, Janos Kadar put in place
• Americans took no action
• Hungary had been different than Poland,
had lost control
• Events promote confidence in
Khrushchev
• Americans would not intervene
• USSR could not always rely on loyalty though
Brezhnev and Czechoslovakia
• Dissatisfaction in the 60s
• First Secretary of the Communist
Party Alexander Dubcek
• Prague Spring
• Modern and liberal economy
• Relations with the West, government
criticism
• Careful to stay in the Warsaw Pact
• USSR resorted to force, troops
• New government subservient to
Moscow
• Clear liberalism not tolerated
• Damage to international reputation
Poland in the 1980s
• Late 70s poor economic situation in
Poland, unrest, shortages, strikes
• 1980, Gdansk shipyard workers went
on strike under Lech Walesa
• Establishment of Solidarity, an
independent trade union movement
• By 1981, 10 million members
• Threat to USSR
• USSR mobilizes
• Coup
• Reliable elements of Polish military
overthrew government
• Banned Solidarity, declared martial law,
banned activists
• Economic problems continue
• Weakened détente
Following Stalin?
• Khrushchev tried de-Stalinization
• Relationship with satellite states
never changes
• Brezhnev
• Power remained centralized, still
integrated economies
• Leaders were loyal to Moscow
• Red Army always brought in for unrest
• Brezhnev Doctrine
Afghanistan
• 1978, People’s Democratic Party seized power, pro-Soviet
• Coup from faction led by Hafizullah Amin then took over
• Anti-Muslim policies meant the rise of the Mujahedin, which declared holy war on
Amin
• Amin seeking aid from Soviets and CIA
• Soviets needed someone safer
• Did not want Iranian situation, afraid of a bloodbath, thought it would open the door for
American involvement
• Lack of response on Czechoslovakia encouraged them, détente already in trouble
• New regime under Babrak Kamal
• American response
• Invasion by proxy, Carter Doctrine
• Aid gave the rebels the upper hand, drained the Red Army
• Soviets leave in 1988, showed they were still pursuing Marxism expansion