- Who is this?
- Click here for the full response.
What legitimate and illegitimate means did he use?
Legitimate Means (Widely Defensible at the Time)
1. Armed Resistance Against Occupation
- Tito led the most effective anti-Axis resistance movement in Yugoslavia.
- Continuous fighting against Nazi and Fascist forces gave him earned legitimacy as a national liberator.
- His forces liberated large areas before Allied or Soviet troops arrived.
Why legitimate: Resistance to foreign occupation is widely recognized as lawful and morally justified.
2. Building a Multi-Ethnic Coalition
- Tito promoted “brotherhood and unity” among Yugoslavia’s ethnic groups.
- Unlike rivals (e.g., Chetniks), Partisans avoided explicit ethnic exclusivity.
- This broadened popular support in a deeply divided society.
Why legitimate: Inclusive coalition-building aligned with Yugoslavia’s social reality and wartime survival.
3. Creation of Parallel Governance (AVNOJ)
- Tito established local councils, courts, tax systems, and administration in liberated areas.
- The AVNOJ functioned as a proto-parliament and government.
- This mirrored how many revolutionary governments emerge during civil wars.
Why legitimate: Effective governance and territorial control are classic sources of political legitimacy.
4. Allied Recognition
- Britain, the U.S., and the USSR formally shifted support to Tito by 1943–44.
- Tito became Yugoslavia’s internationally recognized authority before the war ended.
Why legitimate: External recognition is a major criterion of state legitimacy in international law.
Illegitimate Means (Coercive, Repressive, or Undemocratic)
These actions violated democratic norms, civil liberties, and due process, especially after the Axis threat had passed.
1. Suppression of Political Rivals
- Non-communist resistance groups were disarmed, absorbed, or destroyed.
- Chetniks and other opponents were labeled collaborators—sometimes accurately, sometimes opportunistically.
Why illegitimate: Political pluralism was eliminated rather than negotiated.
2. Postwar Political Purges and Executions
- Tens of thousands were killed or imprisoned in postwar reprisals (1945–46).
- Trials were often summary or absent.
- Targets included former officials, landowners, clergy, and suspected opponents.
Why illegitimate: Collective punishment and lack of due process violate rule-of-law standards.
3. Manipulated Elections (1945)
- Elections were held, but:
- - Opposition parties were banned or intimidated
- - Media was controlled
- - Results were predetermined
- - The monarchy was abolished under these conditions.
Why illegitimate: Elections lacked meaningful competition or freedom.
4. Control of Information and Security Services
- Tito created a powerful internal security apparatus (OZNA/UDBA).
- Surveillance, censorship, and political policing became routine.
Why illegitimate: Governance relied on coercion rather than consent.
