CUET UG History World History Cold War Non-Alignment Movement Decolonisation

Must‑Know

• The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was formally established in 1961 at the Belgrade Conference, initiated by Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito, India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indonesia’s Sukarno, and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah.
• The Panchsheel Agreement, signed in 1954 between India and China, laid down five principles of peaceful coexistence: mutual respect for territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
• The Bandung Conference of 1955, held in Indonesia, was a precursor to NAM and attended by 29 Asian and African nations, emphasizing anti-colonialism and Afro-Asian solidarity.
• Jawaharlal Nehru coined the term “Non-Alignment” to signify India’s policy of not joining either the US-led NATO or Soviet-led Warsaw Pact during the Cold War.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in October 1962, bringing the US and USSR to the brink of nuclear war over Soviet missile deployment in Cuba.
• The Truman Doctrine (1947) pledged US support to countries resisting communism, starting with aid to Greece and Turkey.
• The Marshall Plan (1948) provided $13 billion in economic aid to Western European countries to rebuild post-WWII economies and prevent communist influence.
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 as a military alliance of Western powers led by the US to counter Soviet expansion.
• The Warsaw Pact was established in 1955 by the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European socialist states as a counter to NATO.
• The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea (supported by China and USSR) invaded South Korea (backed by UN forces led by the US); it ended in an armistice in 1953, not a peace treaty.
• The Vietnam War escalated after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964; US involvement ended with the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, and Vietnam was unified under communist rule in 1975.
• Decolonisation in Africa accelerated after WWII; Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from Britain in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah.
• Algeria gained independence from France in 1962 after a brutal war (1954–1962) led by the National Liberation Front (FLN).
• The Suez Canal Crisis of 1956 occurred when Egypt’s President Nasser nationalized the canal, prompting military intervention by Britain, France, and Israel, which was forced to withdraw under US and Soviet pressure.
• The apartheid regime in South Africa was dismantled in the early 1990s; Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 and became president in 1994 after the first multiracial elections.
• The United Nations was established in 1945 with 51 founding members; its primary goal was to maintain international peace and prevent future conflicts.
• The Cold War rivalry was characterized by ideological conflict between capitalism (US) and communism (USSR), without direct large-scale warfare between the two superpowers.
• The Berlin Blockade (1948–1949) led to the Berlin Airlift, where Western powers supplied West Berlin by air after the USSR cut off land access.
• The Non-Aligned Movement grew to include over 100 member states by the 21st century, with the 1979 Havana Declaration reaffirming its anti-imperialist and anti-colonial stance.
• The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of the Cold War, leading to the emergence of 15 independent republics.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — Requires understanding of geopolitical dynamics, timelines, and interlinking of decolonisation with Cold War alignments; some dates and names are easily confused.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Believing that Non-Aligned meant neutrality or non-participation in global affairs. Avoid: Non-alignment meant active involvement in world politics while refusing to join military blocs.
• Trap: Confusing the Bandung Conference (1955) with the formation of NAM (1961). Avoid: Bandung was a foundational meeting; NAM was formally created six years later in Belgrade.
• Trap: Assuming decolonisation happened peacefully everywhere. Avoid: Some nations like Algeria and Kenya experienced violent struggles (e.g., Mau Mau Uprising 1952–1960).

Practice MCQs

1. Question: In which year was the Non-Aligned Movement formally established?
   A) 1955
   B) 1947
   C) 1961
   D) 1971
   Answer: C
   Explanation: NAM was formally established at the Belgrade Conference in 1961.
   Why others fail: 1955 is the Bandung Conference, often mistaken for NAM’s founding.

2. Question: Which of the following leaders was NOT a founding figure of the Non-Aligned Movement?
   A) Josip Broz Tito
   B) Jawaharlal Nehru
   C) Nelson Mandela
   D) Gamal Abdel Nasser
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Mandela was not a founding leader of NAM; he rose to prominence later.
   Why others fail: Mandela is associated with anti-apartheid and Africa, leading to confusion with NAM founders.

3. Question: The Panchsheel Agreement was signed between India and which country?
   A) Pakistan
   B) Nepal
   C) China
   D) Bangladesh
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Panchsheel was signed between India and China in 1954.
   Why others fail: Pakistan is a common distractor due to India’s regional conflicts.

4. Question: Which event marked the peak of US-Soviet tension during the Cold War, nearly leading to nuclear war?
   A) Berlin Blockade
   B) Korean War
   C) Cuban Missile Crisis
   D) Vietnam War
   Answer: C
   Explanation: The Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 brought the superpowers closest to nuclear conflict.
   Why others fail: Korean War involved direct conflict but not between US and USSR directly.

5. Question: Which country gained independence from France in 1962 after a prolonged armed struggle?
   A) Senegal
   B) Algeria
   C) Tunisia
   D) Ivory Coast
   Answer: B
   Explanation: Algeria gained independence in 1962 after the FLN-led war (1954–1962).
   Why others fail: Tunisia and Senegal gained independence earlier and more peacefully, making them tempting distractors.

Last‑Minute Revision

• ⚠️ NAM founded in 1961, not 1955 (Bandung Conference).
• ⚠️ Panchsheel signed in 1954 between India and China.
• ⚠️ Bandung Conference: 1955, Indonesia, 29 nations.
• ⚠️ Cuban Missile Crisis: October 1962.
• ⚠️ NATO formed in 1949; Warsaw Pact in 1955.
• ⚠️ Marshall Plan: 1948, $13 billion to Western Europe.
• ⚠️ Truman Doctrine: 1947, aid to Greece and Turkey.
• ⚠️ Korean War: 1950–1953, ended in armistice.
• ⚠️ Vietnam War: US exit in 1973, reunification in 1975.
• ⚠️ Ghana: first sub-Saharan African country independent in 1957.
• ⚠️ Algeria independence: 1962 after war with France.
• ⚠️ Suez Crisis: 1956, Nasser nationalized canal.
• ⚠️ Berlin Blockade: 1948–1949, countered by Berlin Airlift.
• ⚠️ USSR dissolved in 1991, ending Cold War.
• ⚠️ Nelson Mandela released in 1990, elected president in 1994.
• ⚠️ UN founded in 1945 with 51 members.
• ⚠️ Non-alignment ≠ neutrality — it meant non-bloc participation.
• ⚠️ Mau Mau Uprising: Kenya, 1952–1960.
• ⚠️ Havana Declaration: 1979, reaffirmed NAM principles.
• ⚠️ Cold War: ideological conflict (capitalism vs. communism), no direct war between superpowers.