Marshal Tito 1892-1980 Originally named Josip Broz, the man who became known as Marshal Tito was born the seventh child in a peasant family in northwestern Croatia, then a part of Austria-Hungary. While serving in the Austrian army during the First World War, he was taken prisoner on the Russian front. In 1937 he became involved in reorganizing Yugoslavia,s Communist party the kingdom of Yugoslavia had been created in 1929. When the azis invaded the country in 1941, the Communists were among the first to organize a resistance movement, and Tito became one of its leaders. After the war, Tito held the posts of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia. In January 1953, he became President, and later President for life, of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Tito,s reign was dictatorial in nature, with nationalist insurrections being ruthlessly suppressed in the name of national unity. Under his rule, however, Yugoslavia enjoyed a freer exchange of people and ideas than other countries in the Soviet bloC. Tito is remembered for having defied Stalin when it became clear that the Soviet Union considered Yugoslavia merely one of its satellite countries. Tito, who died in May 1980 at the age of 88, was a symbol of Yugoslavian independence and resistance to tyrants such as Hitler and Stalin. Tito ordered several watches from Patek Philippe with his signature engraved on the back, to be given as gifts to friends and important businessmen and foreign diplomats. Ref. 2488 Production of this reference started in 1951.