128 World War Two and the Partisan Struggle
military mission on 16 June 1944.^409 It was the first international treaty of the
emerging state, highlighting the secondary importance of the document signed
that same day on Vis concerning cooperation between the Partisans and the
royal government in exile.^410 With the Tito-Šubašić agreement, the subject of
much heated discussion in the weeks to come in the party circles, especially in
Croatia and Slovenia, the royal government recognized the future federal orga-
nization of the state, condemned all collaboration with the occupiers, and invited
all patriotic forces in Yugoslavia to unite in a common struggle.^411 Tito, how-
ever, declined to take part and allowed that only three politicians close to the
Liberation movement could assume a ministerial post, but on a personal basis.
More important, he stressed that the final decision on the monarchy, as decreed
by the AVNOJ, would be settled after the war. In recognition of his status, he
received a gift from Stalin: a new marshal’s uniform similar to the Soviet coun-
terpart, tailored according to the measurements Djilas had brought to Moscow.
Even though the cap did not fit well, he nevertheless wore it proudly.^412
Churchill, not at all happy with the Tito-Šubašić agreement, decided at that
point to intervene personally. In a note sent to Eden in July 1944, he wrote
that while he was certainly not going to change his policy toward Mihailović
and Tito, he was determined to get something in exchange for the aid he had
granted the latter. “Now, when he is secure on Vis, it is the best moment to
let him know.”^413 His son Randolph was more realistic. At the time, he wrote
his father from Croatia: “There are two reasons why it is essential for British
interests to support Marshal Tito and his Liberation movement: (a) they are
the only Yugoslavs who are fighting the Germans; (b) whether we help Tito or
not, after the war, he will be the master of Yugoslavia.”^414
Tito knew very well what it was that Churchill wanted: “He wanted to force
us to accept the king,” he said later, “the king would be like the Trojan horse,
with whose help we would return, little by little, to the old system.”^415 Initially,
the British tried to organize a meeting between Tito and General Wilson to
take place on 12 July 1944. However, two days before his departure Tito can-
celled it with the excuse that his agreement with Šubašić had met with negative
reactions in Yugoslavia and that the meeting could harm the liberation strug-
gle and him personally. The British suspected that Moscow had a hand in
this. They were right: Korneev counseled the marshal not to accept General
Wilson’s hospitality since he was only a military figure, whereas Tito was de
facto head of state. In view of the British decision to reduce their aid to the
Partisans as a result, shortly afterward he changed his mind, informing Maclean
that he would go and meet the Allied commander in chief for the Mediterra-
nean after all. But in the meantime, Churchill decided to see Tito himself,
attracted by “this man from the people of modest origin who, thanks to his