Overview

During the Cold War it seemed as if there was no other choice than taking the side of the capitalist West or the Soviet Bloc. Yet Yugoslav President Tito sought allies in non-Western countries for an alternative political vision. In 1961, during a founding conference in Belgrade which gathered leaders of 25 countries and 17 liberation movements, the Non-Aligned Movement was officially created. Marking the era by speaking up about decolonization, disarmament, and opposition to racism, this movement is notably absent from Western history books.