Eighty-two years ago today, on November 9, 1943 (October 12, 1943), Tito became the leader of the Yugoslav government. Tito, a fierce opponent of Nazi rule, Josip Broz, known as Marshal Tito, became the leader of the Yugoslav government on November 9, 1943, without careful fanfare. Tito had been working with Allied forces, paving the way for the Soviet army's passage through Belgrade in September and helping the British army fight against the Axis forces. Meanwhile, his main opponent, General Draza Mihailovich, was expelled by the Allied powers for compromising with the Germans. From 1929 to 1943, Tito was imprisoned for many years for his ties to Yugoslavia's illegitimate Communist Party. He won wide support from his fellow countrymen, and some of his followers were formed through regular contact with his people. During the Spanish War of the 1930s, he was a recruiter for the International Column.