Posjet Josipa Broza Tita Velikoj Britaniji 1953. godine

• Main Author: Spehnjak, Katarina
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Croatian
• Published: Croatian Institute of History 2001
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hrcak.srce.hr/208541; https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/306149

U članku se, na temelju nove građe i najrecentnije literature, analizira posjet Josipa Broza Tita Velikoj Britaniji u proljeće 1953. Zahvaljujući svom odmaku od Sovjetskog Saveza 1948. godine, Jugoslavija je na Zapadu stekla poziciju koja joj je omogućila da riješi svoje neposredne gospodarske teškoće i izađe iz političke izolacije, ali je imala i dugotrajne koristi jer su joj zbog toga bili dostupniji zapadni gospodarski, financijski i vojni potencijali. The good relationship developed between Yugoslavia and Great Britain during the 1950s, inspite of ideological and political differences has to examined within the context of the then dominant politics of the Cold War in Europe and the world. The break between Yugoslavia and the Soviet led Eastern Bloc was seen in western circles as an opportunity to similary draw other “satellite” countries toward the west. As this policy was shown to be unsuccessful, Yugoslavia became an example of a country building socialism yet politically tied to the west, and as such came to play a new role in the strategic considerations of the North Atlantic alliance. Yugoslavia drew short-term as well as long-term benefits from this new position: it obtained economic and military aid no longer forthcoming from the “peoples’ democracies” that allowed it to realize its economic plans. Likewise, the political advantages were also considerable even though it was still considered a communist country, the economic and administrative reforms that went along with ideological experimentation at this time drew the interest of western countries which expected it to develop along the lines of western democratic models. It is interesting to view Tito’s visit to Great Britain in early 1953 wit hin this context. Although it did not result in any important agreements between the two states, it was nonetheless valuable to both: for Yugoslavia, it restored its prestige, and especially that of its president, for Britain, it confirmed its interests and historical role in that region of Europe. The issue that might have divided the two states, the treatment of religious organizations, was handled to the satisfaction of both sides. The protocol of the meeting held the issue to be private not public, thus it did not become a source of conflict. Yet it seems in many aspects both sides shared the same view as to the source of the conflict between the Yugoslavian state and the Catholic Church.