The Non-Aligned Movement and the Cold War Bipolar System

The Non-Aligned Movement

During the 1950s, the Non-Aligned Movement emerged. It consisted of countries that wanted to remain neutral in the Cold War; it was a result of decolonization. In 1955, these African and Asian countries met at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, where they established the principles of non-alignment.

Characteristics of Non-Aligned Countries

• Politics:
  • These countries had different forms of government, including democracies and dictatorships.
  • They supported the right to national self-determination.
• International Relations:
  • They did not participate in the Cold War.
  • They defended non-violence.
• Economy:
  • These countries had developing economies.
  • They aimed to achieve economic growth and development through cooperation.

Non-aligned countries are also known as the Third World. They suffered significant political, economic, and social problems, including:

• Wars between ethnic or religious groups.
• Poverty.

The Cold War: The Bipolar System

The Cold War was a period of constant tension between the Western Bloc (led by the USA) and the Eastern Bloc (led by the USSR) that lasted from 1948 to 1989.

The Western Bloc

• It was made up of countries in Western Europe, America, and Japan.
• These countries emerged as a consequence of the Marshall Plan, where the USA gave financial support to European countries to obtain economic development.
• These countries usually had democratic political systems (with the exceptions of Spain and Portugal).
• They belonged to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance established by the USA in 1949.
• They had capitalist economies.

The Eastern Bloc

• It was made up of the USSR and the communist states of Eastern Europe, Asia, and America.
• In 1949, the USSR established the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) to obtain significant economic development.
• They were communist regimes modeled by the USSR.
• They had communist economies.
• The People's Republic of China (led by Mao Zedong) did not form part of this bloc due to its complicated relationship with the USSR.