Josip Broz Tito - Biography.

Josip Broz Tito - Biography. Leader of Yugoslavia Date Baptized May 25, 1892 Death May 4, 1980 Place of Birth Kumrovec, Croatia Political Party Communist Official Title Prime Minister and President Term 1945-1980 Known For Creating a Communist state independent of the USSR, and serving as a leader in the Nonaligned Movement Uniting diverse ethnic groups in Yugoslavia, which dissolved into civil war just a decade after his death Milestones 1915 Decorated for bravery in World War I 1936 Oversaw a purge of the Communist Party in Yugoslavia 1937 Appointed secretary general of the Yugoslav Communist Party 1941 Created Yugoslav military force to resist Germans, Croatian fascistss, and Serbian nationalists 1945-1963 Served as prime minister of Yugoslavia 1948 Established independence from Soviet influence 1960s Cooperated with Asian and African leaders to promote the nonaligned nations movement Did You Know While working illegally as a Communist Party organizer in the 1930s, he assumed the name Tito as an alias. Tito was trained as a locksmith and his membership in a metalworker's trade union exposed him to labor issues early in life. Tito became a devoted Communist while held as a prisoner of war in Russia during World War I. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.