Was Tito’s Yugoslavia Totalitarian?

Abstract

State entities in Croatia and Slovenia have recently indiscriminately designated Tito’s Yugoslavia as totalitarian without reservations. Neither of these authorities referred to any systematic considerations of totalitarianism, nor did they analyze the manner of the alleged system’s presence and its time limits. As of the middle of 1960’s millions of copies of religious newspapers were published and economic enterprises did not operate under full state control as in command economies of the Soviet bloc. The republics were autonomous players and catered for their interests. The political police (UD BA) operated in a decentralized manner, without unquestionable authority of the center. Although Tito’s cult was promoted, his power was limited by the federal nature of the state. As to other elements of totalitarianism, they also could not be found in the period.