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16 The Non-Alignment Movement
16 The Non-Alignment Movement
1955-1970
Presented by
Dr. Dhanaji B. Masal
Dept. of History
Chh. Shivaji College, Satara.
History
• At the Bandung Conference (Asian-African
Conference), in 1955, 29 Asian and African
countries identified themselves as neutral
– Adopted a 10-point “declaration on the promotion of
world peace and cooperation,” based on the UN
Charter and the Five Principles of Indian Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
• Yugoslavia
– After rejecting Soviet influence and being
expelled from Cominform, Tito’s Yugoslavia
began receiving aid from the West
• Asia, along with other Non-Alignment Movement countries, tried to shift the global
political agenda away from the Cold War to the needs of their poorer countries
1. Nyamnjoh, Francis. "Third World." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Vol. 6. Detroit: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 2005. 2325-2327.
2. Thomas, Raju. "United States, Relations with." Encyclopedia of India. Vol. 4. Detroit: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 2006. 193-198.
Non-Alignment in India
• After independence, India’s relations with the
United States diminished substantially
• India rejected U.S. capitilism, and created a
series of five year plans, with a very small
private sector
• As a result of the economic disputes between
India and the U.S., India refused to join the
U.S. alliance in the Cold War
• Because India did not fully support the Soviet
Union either, India became an organizer of
the Bangung Conference
• Indian leader, Jawaharlal Nehru went to the
Bandung Conference with five objectives:
– Peace and Disarmament
– Self-Determination
– Economic Equality
– Cultural Equality
– Multilaterism through strong support of the UN
1. Nyamnjoh, Francis. "Third World." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Vol. 6. Detroit: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 2005. 2325-2327.
2. Thomas, Raju. "United States, Relations with." Encyclopedia of India. Vol. 4. Detroit: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 2006. 193-198.
The Third World
• The term Third World country was
created during the Cold War
• During the Cold War, a Third
World country referred to a
country that was part of the Non-
Alignment Movement
• Many Asian countries were
labeled Third World countries
because of their political position
in the Cold War
• During the 1960s and 1970s
countries part of the Third World
used their majority vote in the
United Nations to shift discussions
and attention away from the Cold
War, and to their countries’ needs.
1. Nyamnjoh, Francis. "Third World." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Vol. 6. Detroit: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 2005. 2325-2327.
2. Thomas, Raju. "United States, Relations with." Encyclopedia of India. Vol. 4. Detroit: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 2006. 193-198.
Africa and the Non-Alignment
Movement
• The majority of the present-day members of the Non-Aligned Movement are
small African states that desire independence from the world’s superpowers
• Many of these nations joined soon after gaining self-determination from
Western powers as a means of maintaining their autonomy and freedom
• Eleven of the original twenty-five members of the Non-Alignment Movement
were African states. Fears of further colonialism or future dependence on
either the Western or communist blocs encouraged these nations to join the
movement which encourages equality, non-aggression, and peaceful
coexistence.
• Although the threat of war was the dominant theme at the original summit
meeting in 1961, the movement gained respect and influence as nations
were given the right of “independent judgment” so that they could
restructure the world economic order as well as prevent imperialism from
permeating their independent societies.
• The main African nations involved in the Non-Alignment Movement were
Egypt, South Africa, and Ghana.