How did Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia respond to Stalin's efforts to control the Yugoslav government? A) Tito used a more decentralized system closer to the Marxist ideal. B) Tito balanced a communist congress with independent communes. C) Tito established communes with a centralized government. D) Tito ceded part of Yugoslavia to the Soviet Union.

What the question is really asking

You are being asked how Tito handled Stalin’s pressure to bring Yugoslavia under Soviet political control after World War II.

Tito’s key move: independence from Moscow

Tito refused to let Stalin dictate Yugoslav policy. This led to the Tito–Stalin split (1948), when Yugoslavia was expelled from the Cominform and went its own way.

Why option A fits best

Yugoslavia developed a distinctive model often described as decentralized socialism or workers’ self-management, which differed from the highly centralized Soviet model. That decentralizing approach matches option A.

Why the other options are not correct

• B: Uses wording that does not clearly describe the main historical point, which is Yugoslavia’s break from Soviet control and its move toward self-management, not a specific “communist congress vs. communes” balance.
• C: “Communes with a centralized government” sounds closer to the Soviet-style centralization Tito resisted.
• D: Tito did not give Yugoslav territory to the USSR; he maintained Yugoslav sovereignty and independence.