How Tito Was Made

In the study “How Tito Was Made” Srđan Cvetković, PhD, opens one of the most enigmatic chapters of Yugoslav history – the construction of the personality cult of Josip Broz. Cvetković, among other things, investigates the lasting impact of Tito’s cult on the Serbian people. The study primarily deals with the analysis of the formation of the personality cult of Josip Broz Tito as one of the key pillars of authoritarian rule in socialist Yugoslavia. It follows decades of propaganda that allowed Tito to remain loved and adored even decades after his death. In addition to the question of how Tito managed to build his cult of personality, the book deals with the extent to which the construction of that cult was influenced by social heritage and the tradition of divinization of leaders in Serbia. It is analyzed how the technologies of building a cult of personality were specific in relation to other authoritarian leaders of that time.

The book further explores the task of Tito’s cult and the social preconditions for its emergence, how the cult manifested itself and in what way it was modelled. Of vital importance to understanding the cult of personality in the modern age was the role of the mass media and state propaganda.

Cvetković’s analysis indicates that Tito’s cult was long-lasting, systematically, and aggressively nurtured. The role of all state institutions and social organizations is also explored, which was key to its longevity and influence.

The study “How Tito Was Made” represents a significant contribution to the understanding of the domain of propaganda and the technology of building a personality cult, as well as its successful and unsuccessful attempts to dismantle it in recent times. The introductory chapters of the book deal with the importance of the cult of personality for the establishment and maintenance of power in authoritarian societies and the technologies of building the cult of the leader.

Kosta Nikolić, PhD, scientific advisor of the Institute for Contemporary History in Belgrade, Ena Mirković, PhD, scientific associate of the Institute for Serbian Culture Priština – Leposavić and the author, Srđan Cvetković, will talk about the book “How Tito Was Created”, published by the publishing house “Catena Mundi”.