TITO - NEW ALLY?

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 16th Year

Issue

Issue No.

1

Date Released

1951

Length of issue (in feet)

1597

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1TITO - NEW ALLY?

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: In March of Time’s latest release, attention is focussed on Yugoslavia, a nation which now stands politically alone and yet, by its own claim, is more Communist than Russia itself. The question is - Can the buffer state of Yugoslavia defend its independence? Her sixteen million people, ethnically South Slav though culturally divided into many groups by religion or tradition, are united in their determination to defend their country against further aggression.

The film reviews Tito’s rise from a minor role as a Communist agent, agitator and organiser to that of leader of his own country. At war’s end, Yugoslavia was faced with a gigantic task of reconstruction. A shrewd concession to regional interests was the creation of six partly self-governing replublics, followed by Tito’s ambitious Five-Year Plan which counted on using the natural resources of the country to develop a modern industrial Communist state. But this did not fit in with Russia’s imperialist plans, which were to use Yugoslav raw materials primarily for Russian benefit, and to reduce Yugoslavia to a colonial status like that of the other Cominform countries. A strong hint of trouble with Moscow came when machinery contracted for with the Cominfom states failed to arrive. Tito was under suspicion of insubordination and the Kremlin’s promised help was slowly withdrawn. Machinery continued to break down, and economic and political tension grew. Yet Tito remained obdurate - unwilling to bend to Stalin’s will. Then, in June 1948, came the penalty. Yugoslavia was expelled from the Cominform group and cut off from contact with her former Communist allies.

Though banished from the Soviet economic bloc, Tito forged ahead with his Five Year Plan, collectivising agriculture and speeding up industrialisation. But Yugoslavia had all the problems of a poorly industrialised state. Older workers, who had acquired their skill in the pre-war years, had to be entrusted with the difficult and responsible jobs, regardless of their slow production rate. The lack of skilled hands was critical, for peasants cannot be turned into machinists and technicians in a few months - and in the race with time emphasis was on production and that alone. Like all other newly organised regimes, Tito’s counts heavily on the education of its children to insure its future stability. The curriculum is strictly regulated by the State and, following the split with Russia, Stalinist text-books were junked and new ones, stressing Yugoslavia’s national heritage along with the ideals of Tito’s brand of Communism, took their place. Vocational training, both in trade schools and among apprentices in the nation’s factories, has been pushed as part of the new industrialism, and any member if a Volunteer Youth Brigade who is illiterate, must attend special classes.
Following the scenes of the 1950 May Day Parade, when thousands of Tito’s faithful supporters turned out to hail their leader, the film shows the effects of the severe drought which has dealt Yugoslavia a tragic blow, menacing the whole national economy of the country and bringing to the people the terrible prospect of starvation.

Now, says this March of Time, the United States must solve the paradox of anti-Communist America giving aid and comfort to a Communist State, by voting $38,000,000 for food for Yugoslavia on top of $33,000,000 of emergency aid previously allocated. That there would be aid for Yugoslavia was already certain - but how much and for how long continued was a decision for the American people to make. Many will favour continuing relief for a people to make. Many will favour continuing relief for a people who have won respect for their desire to resist enslavement and who now look to the West for help in their battle to survive as human beings.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.16 No.8 of the US edition.

Keywords

Foreign relations

Written sources

The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.