The unbalanced and ruthless dictator of the U.S.S.R., Joseph Stalin, did not easily countenance resistance or rebellion - nor did his successors. The Hungarian uprising of 1956 and the "Prague Spring" of 1968 were ruthlessly crushed by the Soviets. How, then, was Josip Tito able not only to survive politically, but to lead Yugoslavia on an independent course until his death in 1980? Through a combination of military power, charisma, appeals to the different ethnic groups that comprised Yugoslavia, clever diplomacy and sheer luck, Tito created a communist state in Europe that steered its own course and that offered greater freedom than any other. Moreover, he was one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement at a time when the Cold War was creating a bi-polar world grouped around two superpowers. Not long after his death, Yugoslavia would break apart into civil war, "ethnic cleansing," and dissolution.

1. Tito, Nasser, and Nehru led the Non-Aligned Movement, whose non-alignedness can be hotly debated. See a photo of the three leaders in 1956 at
   http://www.geocities.com/Athens/3749/past.htm
2. Qualifications for a country to join the Non-Aligned Movement, and Pakistan's current position (which serves as an example for analysis), may be reviewed at
   http://www.forisb.org/pak_nam.html