Jugoslavija i SAD u svetlu hladnoratovskih kriza 1956. godine
Yugoslavia and the USA in the Light of Cold War Crises in 1956.

Author(s): Tatjana Lečić
Subject(s): Diplomatic history, Political history, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Cold-War History
Published by: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije
Keywords: Yugoslavia; USA; Cold War; Tito; Khruschev
Summary/Abstract: During 1956 Yugoslavia continued to vacillate in its relations toward two powers that ruled the bipolar world. Implementing the new concept of foreign policy strategy and abiding by equidistance and peaceful coexistence policies, Yugoslavia has managed to preserve its independence and socio-political system. Yugoslav anti-bloc policy has enabled it to take critical attitude toward both parties in almost all international conflicts. However, the bloc logic did not allow affirmative treatment of non-aligned policy, particularly its clear guidelines aimed against colonial division of the world and nuclear armament. Western countries remained the major economic partner of Yugoslavia and its overall economic prosperity depended on cooperation with them. Any indication of the Yugoslav-Soviet convergence raised doubts in the West about Yugoslavia’s return to the socialist bloc. In this context, ideological closeness during Tito-Khrushchev meeting in Moscow in June 1956, as well as secret Yugoslav-Soviet consultations and Yugoslavia’s reaction to revolutionary events in Hungary in Autumn 1956 caused great suspicion on the West. The same refers to relatively unanimous position of the Yugoslav and Soviet leadership concerning the Suez crisis, colonial issue and national liberation movements in Asia and Africa. The U. S. has negatively reacted to then course of the Yugoslav foreign policy. Although it maintained economic cooperation with Yugoslavia, it nevertheless often reexamined the possibility for the continuation of the programme of material assistance to Yugoslav leadership. Periodic accusations between Yugoslavia and the U. S. Represented a usual occurrence which has for many years accompanied the cooperation of two countries so different in terms of their ideological and political aspirations. Despite huge differences, the two sides have nevertheless managed to alleviate mutual political animosities to the mutually acceptable degree and thus created prerequisites for future cooperation.

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