NEW ALBANIA

A Small Nation, A Great Contribution !In Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Liberation of Albania and the Victory of the People's Revolution

November 29, 1944 - November 29, 1984

Table of Contents

Preface 1Introduction 1

Albania at the Crossroads:Annihilation or Liberation 3

Socialist Construction in Albania toThe People's State Power ioThe Socialist Economy 14

The Revolutionization of Society 20

Social and CulturalDevelopment in Albania 24

The Albanian Educational System 24

Health Care in Albania 27

Women's Emancipation 29

The Greek National Minority 31

Aspects of Albanian Culture,Past and Present 32

International Relations and theForeign Policy of the People'sSocialist Republic of Albania 38

V. Conclusion 44

People'sSocialistRepublicof Albania

This pamphlet is dedicated to Ruth and JackShulman, whose friendship for the Albanian people andtireless defense of their post-liberation achievements havebeen instrumental in educating a new generation ofworking class and progressive people about the People'sSocialist Republic of Albania.

PrefaceThis pamphlet is presented in celebration of the

40th anniversary of the liberation of Albania and thetriumph of the people's revolution.

It is the result of a collective effort by organi-zations in the U.S. who have been working to bring themessage of the Albanian experience and successes to theU.S. people, and in particular, the U.S. working class.Some of the participants in this project have visitedAlbania on rnany occasions since liberation and have seenwith their own eyes the remarkable successes which arerecounted in this pamphlet. Valuable resource materialswere found in a variety of Albanian publications, includingPortrait of Albania, The History of the Party of Labor of Albania, New Albania and Albania Today magazines, andthe Constitution of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.

This year also marks the first time that organi-zations in several U.S. cities will be gathering together tohold joint celebrations of the anniversary of the liberationof Albania, on November 29, 1944. Wt urge you to joinwith us in celebrating this historic occasion and inbuilding friendship between the peoples of the U.S. andAlbania.

Albania Friendship Societyof Southern California,Los Angeles, California

Albania Information Project,New Orleans, Louisiana

Albania Report,New York, New York

Chicago Area Friends of Albania,Chicago, Illinois

U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization,Boston, Massachusetts

Introduction Forty years ago an November 29, 1944, the people

of Albania, under the leadership of the Communist Partyof Albania (now the Party of Labor), liberated theircountry from the Nazi occupation and the local rulingclasses.

After liberation, the country stood in ruins, ravagedby the fascists. Not a single working factory was leftstanding, agriculture was virtually destroyed, and thepeople were plagued with starvation, disease, high infantmortality rates and an average life span of 38 years.

Today Albania is an independent, seif-reliant, modernindustrial-agrarian society. There are no exploitingclasses. The great advantages of the socialist system withits planned economy, can be seen in the fact that thereis no econornic crisis in Albania, no unemployment and noinflation. There are also no taxes, while medical care,child care, paid vacations and paid maternity leave areprovided at little or no cost to individuals. Albania has noforeign debts or credits and is free from domination bythe imperialist powers. All these conditions result fromthe socialist system which now exists in Albania.

Today, Albania is the only socialist country in theworld. lt stands in firm Opposition to the two super-powers -- the U.S. and U.S.S.R. -- and their preparationsfor imperialist war.

The lessons of how Albania achieved these remark-able successes in only 40 years have great irnportance tothe people of the world and the United States. Theimperialists and reactionaries have tried to hide the truthabout Albania's liberation and the successes of therevolution because they know these victories are atremendous inspiration and example for all oppressedpeople.

Outflanking the enemy deep behind their own lines,the Albanian National Liberation Army escapeddestruction and undertook counter-offensive attacksagainst the Nazi forces.

At dawn on April 7, 1939, Italian fascist troopsinvaded Albania. This act brought Albania to the brinkof extinction. Italy's goal was the subjugation andassimilation of the entire Albanian population and terri-tory under its fascist flag. The Albanian nation, with theoldest indigenous population in the region, was to bedestroyed. The desires and aspirations of the Alhanianpeople who had fought ernpire after ernpire for theirindependence and for democracy, were to he drowned inAlbanian blood.

Italy's brutal aggression against Albania was theculmination of rnany decades of intrigues and schernes bythe Great Powers of pre-war Europe. These schemeswere hatched in the early 1900s when the OttomanTurkish Empire began to disintegrate, after occupyingAlbania for over 500 years. Like vultures, the GreatPowers (Britain, Italy, France, Germany and Russia)competed to benefit frorn the Ottornan Ernpire's decay bydorninating the newly emerginq states. They sought tocolonize and exploit the Balkan states, including Alhania,because of their rieh natural resources and strategiclocation. Balkan countries, such as Greece and Serbia, inalliance with one or another of these Powers, had designsof their own on Albanian land. Serbia had already annexedthe Albanian region of Kosova in 1913. This success onlywhetted the appetite of the Serbian rulers, who wantedthe northern half of rernaining Albanian lands, while theGreek governrnent laid claim to the southern half.

The conditions inside Albania in the early 1900s didnot permit a strong independent state to ernerge.Nonetheless in 1912 there was a general uprising; Albaniadeclared its independence and a dernocratic governrnentwas formed headed by Ismail Qemali. The Qemaligovernrnent was ousted by the Great Powers intriguesbefore the First World War. In 1920, theAlbanian people defeated Italy's atternpt to annex Vloraand surrounding lands. In 1924, Albania's efforts werecrowned by the establishment of the dernocratic govern-ment of Fan Noli, which proclairned an independentAlbania and defied the annexationist airns of the GreatPowers and their Balkan allies. However, the Albanianlandowners and merchants, high clergy and their imper-ialist allies did not support a dernocratic governrnent.

1. Albania atthe CrossroadsAnnihilationor Liberation

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Within 6 months, the Noli governrnent was overthrown bya coup, carried out by Ahmet Zog and supported bySerbien, British and Italian capital. Zog carne to poweras the president of the Albanian republic, but shortly pro-claimed himself King.

Zog's governrnent proceeded to sell Albanianresources, labor and territory to the highest foreignbidder in exchange for riches and political and rnilitarysupport. From his coup in 1924 until the mid-1930s, Zogpursued an "open door" policy with Britain and the U.S.,as well as with Italy. These countries were given "favorednation" status, and perrnitted to export large quantities ofmanufactured goods to Albania while extracting naturalresources at very low cost. U.S. and British corporationswere granted oil and mineral concessions; the Italiancapitalists invested in mines and built factories whichwere worked by peasants driven from their land. In orderto support these concerns' needs for roads, ports, electric-ity and other services, the Albanien people were heavilytaxed and workers in these enterprises were paidextremely low wages.

As the Depression gripping the imperialist worlddeepened in the mid-1930s, the U.S. and Britain wereunable to maintain close economic ties with Albania.Italian capitalists took advantage of this to increase theircontrol over Albania. King Zog signed agreernents whichopened Albania to economic plunder and gave the Italiangovernrnent such privileges es the right to intervenemilitarily in Albania if it were attacked. To protect itsinvestrnents and to assist Zog in quelling any resistanceto its plunder of the Albanien people, Italy providedtroops which were housed and fed at the expense of theAlbanien population.

As World War II approached, Zog paved the way forthe Italian fascist invasion of Albania. Under his direc-tion, the national defense of Albania was stripped;increasingly, the governmental policies of Albania were

dictated from Italy. On April 7th, 1939, Italy invadedAlbania. The invasion and the brutal occupation whichfollowed were the logical conclusion of the schemes ofthe Great Powers, the Jong-term designs by Italy onAlbanien territory, and the pro-imperialist "open door"policy of Zog, which had robbed Albania of the ability to

maintain its independence. The invasion was also a partof the plans of the fascist Axis powers to destroy thethen-socialist Soviet Union and to establish worlddornination.

Despite trernendous obstacles, the Albanien peoplerose to defend their country and to fight for liberation inthe face of Italian invasion. From the earliest days ofthe occupation, the working people, peasants and patrioticintellectuals organized a war of national liberation inAlbania. This was frorn birth an anti-fascist war, airnedat defeating the fascist occupation and establishing ademocratic, independent Albanien republic. lt was,therefore, also an anti-imperialist war with the goal ofachieving Albania's permanent independence from domina-tion by any foreign power and in support of the wholecoalition of anti-fascist, anti-irnperialist forces andgovernrnents.

Throughout 1939 and 1940, various groups wereorganized to fight the threatened destruction of theAlbanian nation through assirnilation into Italy. Thisbroad resistance movernent was initiated and led by smallcomrnunist organizations which had forrned shortly heforethe Italian occupation and by groups of patriotic anddemocratic Albaniens opposed to foreign domination oftheir country. Under this leadership, arrned units offighters were formed in the cities and carried outsabotage and attacks on Italian posts. Secondary schoolstudents and teachers demonstrated against the Italian-ization of education and the suppression of the Albanienlanguage and culture. Workers organized strikes andsabotage in the factories. Peasants hid or destroyedgrain and animals rather than have them feed the Italianoccupiers.

The political views and philosophy of the Albaniencommunists found support arnong the working people andprogressive intellectuals of the country frorn the beginningof. the national liberation war. This was the case becausethe communists were the only organized political force inAlbania actively fighting the fascist enemy. Through thisfight, they were proving thernselves to be outstandingleaders, able to show the people the steps and methodsby which liberation could be achieved.

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In order to provide the necessary leadership andcentralization of the anti-fascist struggle, in the fall of1941 the communist groups and individuals joined to formthe Communist Party of Albania (the CPA, now the Partyof Labor of Albania). Representing the working dass ofAlbania, this Party took up active battle against fascistoccupation from its birth, in stark contrast to all otherexisting political groups. No other organization existedwhich was engaging in a war of national liberation, norwas any other group capable of leading such a war. Ledby Enver Hoxha, the CPA was the only organization tocall for the nation-wide war against fascism and theformation of an independent, dernocratic Albanian repub-lic.

In the face of severe repression, the CPA undertookto lead the Albanian people in the anti-fascist nationalliberation war. During the winter of 1941-42, men andwomen were recruited by this Party to form guerillaunits, based an the older armed groups in the cities. Newunits were established in the countryside, where theyfought both offensive and defensive battles against theItalian army. In addition, these units broke into grainreserves to distribute food to the peasants, who werebeing forced to support the fascist occupiers whilestarving themselves. Together, the peasants and thearmed guerilla units defended villages from fascistattacks and reprisals, cared for wounded and gatheredsupplies. At the same time, the guerilla units integratedwith the population and helped to maintain the cohesionof Albanian society by planting crops, tending livestockand helping repair war darnage to fields and hornes. Inthe course of all these activities, the CPA showed theAlbanian workers, peasants and revolutionary intellectualsthat the Communist Party of Albania fought to ridAlbania of occupation, that they undertook these battlesfor and with the working people and not for somepersonal benefit.

At the same time, the CPA was also fighting toothand nail to build and protect the political unity of allanti-fascist Albanians. Victory against a large, well-armedoccupation force like the Italian army was possible only

if every single able-bodied Albanian who was willing tofight was integrated into the struggle for freedom.Accordingly, the CPA worked with any individual regard-less of religious or political differences.

In order to further the unity being produced throughcommon battle, the CPA organized the first nationalconference of anti-fascist fighters at Peza in May of1942. The Conference of Peza included representatives ofcornrnunists and revolutionary patriots from every part ofthe country and from every fighting group. Under thepolitical leadership of the CPA, these individuals adopteda unified basic program of struggle against the Italianoccupation, with which all participants agreed. The twogoals of this program were to conduct the armed struggleagainst occupation forces until liberation, and to establishan independent, dernocratic republic of Albania.

In order to achieve these goals, the Peza Confer-ence also adopted the organizational structure of thenational liberation councils. These councils acted asorgans of war, through which the fighting was plannedand carried out in particular regions, and civilians wereorganized to help the guerilla units. The councils werealso the ernbryonic organs of political power or govern-ment. They were empowered to pass laws, adjudicatedisputes, form police and self-defense units for villageS,and represent towns or regions at national conferences ofanti-fascist fighters. These local councils were elected,and were directed by the Provisional National LiberationGeneral Council, the first national, elected, representativebody of proven anti-fascist fighters, who directed theoverall war effort and formed the nucleus of the futuredemocratic Albanian government.

Following the Peza Conference, the liberation warmade much progress, especially in the countryside.Partisan bands attacked fascist militia posts and govern-ment offices, driving the occupiers out of the villages andtowns. They would then replace the puppet governmentwith freely elected national liberation councils. Thepartisan units not only engaged in battles and skirrnishes;they also protected the villages against reprisals, pro-tected the people in liberated areas from thieves orspies, settled blood feuds and otherwise helped to estab-lish a stable political and econornic life for war-torncommunities. From village to village the liberation battle

- 1.1 v ► yurOuS,

dernocratic political system based on the national liber-ation councils was forrned and protected.

In response to these successes, the Italian fascistswent on the offensive in the winter of 1942-43. TheItalian arrny conducted massive retaliatory actions,burning villages and murdering villagers. Politically, thefascists sought to derail the liberation movement byuniting with the feudal landlords, the bourgeoisie andother reactionary elements, by sponsoring a group calledBalli Kombetar.

Balli Kombetar was specifically created to opposethe CPA's leadership of the liberation war. It's programwas in collaboration with the fascist occupiers; it believedthe national liberation war to be unnecessary and wrong.Because it claimed to stand for national unity, strengthand independence, Balli was initially able to influencesorne people, particularly in the countryside. However,because its policy was not airned at complete liberationand the establishment of a dernocratic Albanian republic,Balli refused to participate in arrned actions against theItalian army, despite invitation from the CPA for jointactions.

In early 1943, the fascist puppet governrnent inAlbania feil. Its inability to defeat the national liberationforces and to govern Albania was reflective of thedefeats fascism was suffering across Europe at the time.In February of 1943, the Red Army of the Soviet Unionhad defeated the Nazi Army at Stalingrad, and the tideof the second World War was turning in favor of theanti-fascist coalition.

During the early rnonths of 1943, meetings of theAlbanian national liberation councils were held to discusshow to take advantage of this improved situation. Plansfor a general uprising against the Italian army wereapproved. In July of 1943 these rneetings culminated inthe formation of a General Staff which was charged withcreating the Albanian National Liberation Army (ANLA)from the ranks of existing partisan units. The GeneralStaff was placed under the command of the outstandingcornmunist and fighter, Enver Hoxha. Under his leader-ship and that of the General Staff, the newly reorganizedarmy engaged in larger and more frequent attacks onfascist targets. The formation of the General Staff

renectea also tne tremenaous political growtn anaunification the Communist Party of Albania had been ableto generate among the people by constant politicaleducation and involvement of the people in the dernocra-tic process of rnaking political decisions.

The Party had also paid great attention to keepingrnorale in the arrny high. lt raised the consciousness ofthe fighters to a high level so that they all knew whatthey were fighting for and had great faith in the triumphof their cause.

In addition to the military battles, the struggle wasalso carried out through large demonstrations against thefascist occupation, and various strikes and other battles.The partisans did tireless work to expose the fascists andlocal traitors and to organize cultural and educationalactivities arnong the people.

As the military and political conditions in Albaniabegan to favor the victory of the national liberationforces, the Balli Kombetar began to show its true nature.Rather than taking up arrns against the fascist occupierswho were slaughtering the Albanian people, Balli's lead-ership agreed to place their organization in the service ofthe Italian army. They guaranteed they would preventattacks on the Italian army by national liberation forcesand agreed to undertake punitive actions against theANLA in southern Albania. A member of Balli wasappointed to the fascist puppet governrnent. Theseactions clearly exposed to the Albanian population thatBalli supported fascism rather than the liberation ofAlbania.

In the early summer of 1943, representatives of theAnglo-Arnerican Mediterranean command entered Albaniauninvited to investigate the status of the Albaniannational liberation war. Their findings alarmed the U.S.and British governments. Instead of a disorganized,dernoralized, scattered resistance rnovement, they found ahighly organized national army, led by a vigorouscommunist party, supported by fledgling governrnentalunits on the local and national levels and enjoying thecomplete support of the Albanian population. Later in thesummer, hoth the U.S. and British arrn eS establishedrnilitary missions inside Albania, under the watchful eyeof the Albanian National Liberation Army. Fron themoment they set foot on Albanian soil, these missions

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acted to. support Italian fascism and King Zog. Their aimwas to undermine the leadership of the national liberationwar by the Communist Party and the Provisional GeneralCouncil. They funneled rnoney and weapons to Balli,which in turn used them against the ANLA, in support ofthe fascist occupiers. Britain and the U.S. demanded thatthe ANLA lay down its weapons, stop the nationalliberation war, and limit itself to supporting Alliedmilitary efforts to "liberate" Albania from outside.

Almost in unison with these Allied demands, verysimilar pressure was exerted on the CPA and the Provi-sional General Council by leading members of theYugoslav Communist Party and its national liberationfront. These leaders visited Albania during this period toexpress the opinion that the Albanien national liberationwar was being waged entirely improperly. They toodemanded that Albania abandon its independent anti-fascist liberation war, and fight primarily as an arm ofthe Yugoslav national liberation army. At this crucialjuncture, the CPA and the Albanian people rejected allpressures to stop their national liberation war, and tounite with forces such as Balli, who had openly supportedthe fascist occupation of Albania. The liberation war wasbroadened and continued and in the late summer of 1943,Italy was unable to hold Albania any Tonger. Italy capi-tulated to the Allies and some of its troops then joinedwith the Albanian partisans to fight the Nazis.

The German Nazi army had been making occasionalforays into northern Albania for some time, in battlesagainst the liberation forces. In late September, 1943,they invaded Albania full scale. The Nazi occupiers weredetermined to decimate the Albanian national liberationmovement. But the movement could not be crushed.Bloody battles occurred throughout the fall. In October,less than a month after the Nazi invasion, the ANLAshelled the Parliament building of the fascist governmentin Tirana.

In response, the Nazis unleashed a ferocious militaryeffort called the Winter Campaign of 1943-44 in an allout effort to destroy the CPA and the ANLA and toforce Albania into submission. They planned to reachthese goals by encircling the ANLA and destroying it,while terrorizing the population into subjugation. Acurfew was imposed and violators were shot on sight. The

Nazis proclaimed that they would hang ten to thirtypeople for every German soldier killed in Albania.Thousands of communists and anti-fascist fighters weresent to concentration and Labor camps inside Germanyand imprisoned in Albania, where they were tortured,starved or worked to death. Anti-fascist fighterscaptured by the Nazis were publicly hung to deter others.The Nazis also tried to destroy the national liberationmovement by coming to terrns with Balli Kombetar andusing it against the ANLA in military actions. Inaddition, the Nazis supported the formation of anothercollaborationist political group, Legaliteti, which played arole similar to Balli, but with less influence.

Neither severe military repression nor political ployscould silence the Albanien national liberation movement.All through the terrible winter of 1943-44, the Albanienpeople grew closer to the CPA and the national liberationcouncils because it saw thern continuing to fight forindependence and democracy under the most difficultconditions. Outflanking the enemy deep behind their ownlines, launching surprise attacks an supply lines tofortifications, undertaking long distance marches to attackat night where and when the enemy least expected it, theANLA escaped destruction and undertook counter-offensiveattacks against the Nazis forces. In April, havingdefeated the German offensive, the ANLA undertook oneof its own, scoring major victories at Korca, Pogradecand Berat, among other locations.

The great unity between the Albanian people andthe leadership of the national liberation war provided thepolitical basis for holding the First Anti-Fascist NationalLiberation Congress at Permet in May of 1944. ThisCongress elected the Anti-Fascist Council which wasresponsible for laying the groundwork for the Albanianstate of people's democracy. In addition, the PermetCongress took decisions of great importance to the newlyemerging Albanian state: to prevent King Zog fromreturning to power; to not recognize any other govern-rnent set up inside or outside of Albania against the willof its people; to continue the liberation war untilindependence and the formation of the people's dernocra-cy. Because it sanctioned the overthrow of the old rulingclasses, the Perrnet Congress established a government inwhich the control and leadership of the workers and

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B y the force of their own arrns the Albanian peopleexpelled the last Nazi troops and proclairned theestablishment of an independent democratic People'sRepublic of Albania. (ANLA troops rnarch intoTirana, November 28, 1944).

peasants, through the Communist Party, was ensured.Finally, the Congress agreed to launch a general offensiveagainst the German occupiers.

Factors internal and external to Albania favored ageneral offensive at this time. Outside of Albania theNazis were in retreat. The Red Army of the Soviet Unionwas already helping to free Romania from occupation.Inside of Albania, the failure of the Nazi WinterCampaign, the growing unity of the Albanian people, andthe drafting of the new structure for the Albaniangovernment all signaled that the time for a generaloffensive was at hand. In June of 1944, the offensivebegan.

With the initiation of the general offensive, all ofAlbania joined in a massive effort to expel the Nazisfrom its territory. At the same time, some final stepswere necessary to ensure that the new Albanian statewould be a democratic people's republic. Accordingly, onemonth before liberation, a meeting of the General Councilin Berat proclaimed the establishment of the DemocraticGovernment of Albania. Its officials were elected andagreement was reached to organize the election of aConstituent Assembly that would draft a new Constitutionfor the dernocratic People's Republic of Albania. TheBerat meeting forrnalized the national liberation councilsas organs of governrnent and adopted the "Declaration ofthe Rights of Citizens" ensuring basic dernocratic rightsto all individuals.

The new leadership of the Democratic Governmentfaced immediate serious threats to Albania's indepen-dence. In late October of 1944, ignoring the Govern-rnent's rejection of Allied armed Intervention in Albania,Allied troops landed in southwestern Albania with the goalof occupying the whole country. The new Governmentstood firm, refusing to perrnit these troops to remain inAlbania; under the direction of the National LiberationArmy, they were removed from Albanian soil. At thesame time, ßritish troops in Yugoslavia atternpted tocross into Albania frorn the north, but were prevented bythe Albanian Army and population. Rather than giving into Anglo-U.S. pressures and influence, the new Democra-tic Government established diplomatic ties with theSoviet Union, recognizing in that then-socialist country astaunch ally.

Despite the threatened invasion of Albania by Alliedtroops and despite the vicious military blows by theretreating Nazi Army, the ANLA liberated all of Albaniaon November 29, 1944. By the force of their own arms,the Albanian people expelled the last Nazi troops andproclaimed the establishment of an independent, democra-tic people's republic of 'Albania. The first step in thepeople's revolution in Albania -- the country's liberation

had been taken.The Italian and German occupation of Albania from

1939 to 1944 took a great toll on the Albanian people.7.3% of the population of 1,200,000 was killed or rnairnedand up to 3.9% were deported to Germany as slave laboror irnprisoned in Albania during this five years. Thirtypercent of all villages were destroyed. One-third of allfarm anirnals were killed. All electric power wasdisrupted and all bridges had been blown up. The fewfactories which were not destroyed had no raw materialswith which to operate.

Despite massive losses and damage, the anti-fascistnational liberation war of the Albanian people had scoreda decisive victory. It had expelled the fascist occupiersand established an independent Albanian government.Additionally, the national liberation war had swept awaythe rule of the old exploiting classes, by preventing thereturn of Zog or the foreign or Albanian capitalists andmerchants. The new democratic government, elected bythe Albanian people, was composed of tested leaders frornthe working class and peasantry, the same people whohad made up the national liberation councils and led thepartisan units, the same people who were leaders andmembers of the Communist Party of Albania, the politicalparty of the Albanian working class. However, thevictory of the national liberation war on November 29,1944 was not the end of a history of struggle for inde-pendence. It was the beginning of a new history ofstruggle in Albania to protect the triumph of the people'srevolution and to initiate the uninterrupted constructionof socialism.

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