Although the conflicts that resulted in the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Yugoslavs during World War II—most of whom died at the hands of other Yugoslavs—still rankled, Yugoslavs enjoyed relatively peaceful and prosperous times under Tito. Tito had been expelled from the communist alliance, Cominform, by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1948 for not complying with standard communist principles. This separation freed the Yugoslav leader to adopt a more freemarket version of communism. Under Tito's communist regime, people could own land, travel abroad, and receive uncensored Western publications. Access to health care and education improved, and cities began to prosper. Tito disapproved of religion because he thought it divided people, but he did not severely punish those who were determined to practice their faith, although those who were determined to do so were relatively few.

The country's political structure also helped establish peaceful...