Josip Broz Tito

He married thrice in his life, first to Pelagija Broz, then Herta Haas and lastly to Jovanka Broz. In his life, he fathered four children Zlatica Broz, Hinko Broz, Žarko Leon Broz and Aleksandar Broz.

In 1979, he became increasingly ill. He was admitted to the Medical Centre in Ljubljana on several occasions between 1979 and 1980. He finally succumbed death on May 4, 1980.

His funeral was widely attended by statesman and politicians across the globe. He was buried in a mausoleum in Belgrade

Josip Broz was the seventh child of the couple Franjo and Marija Broz. While his father was a Croatian, his mother belonged to Slovene.

Young Broz enrolled at a primary school in Kumrovec in 1900 and completed his early education in 1905. Two years henceforth, he moved to Sisak to train himself as a machinist’s apprentice.

Upon completing his training, he joined the Social Democratic Party of Croatia and Slavonia. In the following years, he worked as a metallurgy worker for various organizations in Kamnik, Cenkov, Munich, Mannheim and Austria.

In 1913, he was inducted in the Austro-Hungarian army. After completing a non-commissioned training, he was appointed as a sergeant in the war against Serbia in 1914.

His heroic antics earned him the status of Sergeant Major in the Austro-Hungarian Army. In 1915, he was transferred to the Russian front, where he fought ceaselessly before being wounded and captured by the Russian army.

Returning to Yugoslavia, he joined the Communist Party, which won the 1920 elections gaining 59 seats. However, a state ban against communist activities led him to relocate to Veliko Trojstvo where he found work as a machinist.

In the years to come, he took up various jobs finally being appointed secretary of Metal Workers' Union of Croatia in Zagreb. Meanwhile, he continued to function as communist party member, reviving his links and working underground.

In 1928, he finally took up the position of Zagreb Branch Secretary of CPY. Assuming the post, he carried out various anti-government activities in the form of street demonstrations and the like.

His activities against the authorities did not last long and he was arrested and imprisoned for five years. However, all through the trial he portrayed a courageous demeanour which won him respect of party members.

It was in the jail that he met Moša Pijade, who became his ideological mentor. Also, during this time, he took up the title of Tito. Upon his release, he moved to Vienna, and became a member of the CPY Politburo.

For his outstanding contribution, he was conferred with numerous awards including 98 international decorations and 21 national decorations. The most notable award includes French Legion of Honour and National Order of Merit, the British Order of the Bath, the Soviet Order of Lenin, the Japanese Order of the Chrysanthemum, the German Federal Cross of Merit, and the Order of Merit of Italy.