Tito. Sociološko-zgodovinska študija
Avtor: Todor Kuljić
Leto in kraj izdaje: 2024, Koper
329 strani/ pages
978-961-6732-65-9
The book examines the political work and function of Josip Broz – Tito in a broader historico-sociological context. From a broader perspective, encompassing Tito’s political culture and the authoritarian regime that was shaped in the spirit of the times, the perspective narrows to the period before the assumption of power (1937-1945) and thus the formative period of his rule. This is followed by a discussion of his political culture, which is then developed into an understanding of his national policy and, finally, his foreign policy. The author also takes a critical approach to the construction of a cult of personality and Tito’s charisma, which led to an irrational attitude towards the Yugoslav leader, who was elevated to the status of an infallible individual, creating the illusion of his role as a saviour. The author then analyses the attitudes of Yugoslav intellectuals towards Tito, looking at the main patterns. The present work therefore focuses on a neglected aspect of Yugoslav socialism: its embeddedness in long historical processes, the meaning of Tito and the fundamental characteristics of political culture. The focus is therefore not on events, but on processes. Although Tito’s image today depends on the space in which the interpretation is formed, the study shows well how this image is also time-dependent and constantly changing. After all, it is already quite different from that of 1998, when the study was first published. Therefore, as the author also notes, the content of this book will necessarily be received differently today in the community and in the memory culture of a new generation for whom Tito is only a symbol of the past and of whom they have no personal memories. In the Slovenian context, it will therefore certainly be a welcome addition to previous publications on Tito’s history and biography, as it understands him in the broader social context of time and place.