Moć Titove riječi

The book The Power of Tito’s Word (Moć Titove riječi), authored by Dane Šijan and published in 1976 (by the Zagreb-based publisher "Stvarnost"), is a unique analytical study dedicated to the communicative phenomenon and the linguistic-rhetorical style of Josip Broz Tito. Written during a period when the Yugoslav political system had reached full stabilization, the book explores how Tito’s public discourse served as a powerful driving and integrative force during key historical moments for the SFRY. Šijan provides a detailed breakdown of Tito’s speeches, reports, interviews, and proclamations—ranging from his pre-war underground activity and the dramatic calls to uprising during the Second World War, to his post-war addresses in the Assembly, at workers' rallies, and at international conferences. The author emphasizes that the power of Tito’s words did not lie in academic abstraction or forced oratory, but rather in a direct, accessible, and clear language that easily resonated with the broad masses. Particular attention is given to how Tito’s rhetoric shaped the core tenets of Yugoslav society: "brotherhood and unity," self-management, and a foreign policy based on neutrality and non-alignment. The book serves as a valuable historical document for the study of political communication, propaganda, and mass psychology in socialist Yugoslavia during the 1970s.