May 4th 1980: Death of Marshal Josip Broz Tito

Charcoal and pastel on paper drawing titled "Marshal Josip Broz Tito" by Marc Stone.

“Stalin: Stop sending people to kill me! We’ve already captured five of them, one with a bomb and another with a rifle … If you don’t stop sending killers, I’ll send one to Moscow, and I won’t have to send another”.

- Josip Broz Tito, Leader of Yugoslavia.

NB.

May 4th marks the death of Marshal Josip Broz Tito who passed away in 1980.

Born of a Croat Father and a Slovene Mother, in 1892, "Tito" was one of the most important political figures of the 20th century because of:

. His role as the most formidable anti-Nazi guerrilla leader during World War 2

. His creation of a socialist model which, while not of the liberal democratic tradition (he was claimed by some to be an authoritarian figure and by others to be a benevolent dictator), nonetheless rejected the totalitarian features of the Soviet Union

. His championing of the Non-Aligned Movement during the years of the Cold War. 

© Adeyinka Makinde (2022)

Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.