Final answer:
Yugoslavia, under Josip Broz Tito, became communist independently after WWII and maintained a non-aligned stance, seeking economic self-sufficiency and aid from the U.S. after being expelled from the Cominform in 1948. Tito's refusal to align with either the Soviet bloc or the U.S. kept Yugoslavia independent until its breakup after the Eastern Bloc's collapse.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yugoslavia had gone communist at the end of the war, led by Josip Broz Tito, who became an uneasy ally of Stalin. Relationships between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union soured, leading to Yugoslavia's expulsion from the Cominform in 1948. Despite this, Tito refused to align strictly with either the Soviet bloc or the United States.
After the split from Stalin, Tito sought aid from the United States to help Yugoslavia survive economically despite being shunned by its Eastern Bloc neighbors. However, Tito was wary of becoming too dependent on the U.S., and in the 1950s and 1960s, set about making Yugoslavia economically self-sufficient. The country traded with both Western and Eastern Bloc countries, maintaining a non-aligned position.
Tito's vision for Yugoslavia extended beyond strict Communist doctrine; he wanted to incorporate other nations and was opposed to being treated as a satellite state by the Soviets. This independent stance showcased to the world that a country could remain independent of superpower manipulation, a concept he promoted at international forums like the United Nations.
The eventual collapse of the Eastern Bloc also precipitated the breakup of Yugoslavia, highlighting the complex interplay of regional and international politics that Tito navigated.