Enver Hoxha: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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'''Enver Hoxha''' ({{IPA-sq|ɛnˈvɛɾ ˈhɔdʒa|lang|Sq-Enver Hoxha.ogg}}; 16 October 1908{{spaced ndash}}11 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the ruler of [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albania]] from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the [[Secretary (title)#First secretary|First Secretary]] of the [[Party of Labour of Albania]] from 1941 until his death, a member of its [[Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania|Politburo]], chairman of the [[Democratic Front of Albania]], and commander-in-chief of the [[Albanian People's Army]]. He was the twenty-second [[Prime Minister of Albania|prime minister of Albania]] from 1944 to 1954 and at various times was both [[Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Albania)|foreign minister]] and [[Ministry of Defence (Albania)|defence minister]] of the country.

Hoxha was born in [[Gjirokastër]] in 1908 and became a grammar school teacher in 1936. Following the [[Italian invasion of Albania]], he joined the Party of Labour of Albania at its creation in 1941 in the [[Soviet Union]]. He was elected First Secretary in March 1943 at the age of 34. Less than two years after [[Liberation Day (Albania)|the liberation of the country]], the monarchy of [[Zog I of Albania|King Zog I]] was formally abolished, and Hoxha became the country's ''de facto'' head of state.

Adopting [[Stalinism]], Hoxha converted Albania into a [[One-party state|one-party]] [[communist state]]. As a Stalinist, he implemented [[state atheism]] and ordered anti-religious persecution against Muslims and Christians. His government rebuilt the country, which was left in ruins after [[World War II]], building Albania's first railway line, raising the adult literacy rate from 5–15% to more than 90%, wiping out epidemics, electrifying the country and leading Albania towards agricultural independence. The later years of his reign saw stagnation owing to his political breaks with the Soviet Union and China. To implement his radical program, Hoxha used totalitarian methods of governance. His government outlawed traveling abroad and private proprietorship. His government imprisoned, executed, or exiled thousands of landowners, rural clan leaders, peasants who resisted collectivization, and allegedly disloyal party officials. Hoxha was succeeded by [[Ramiz Alia]], who oversaw the [[fall of communism in Albania]].

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A problem developed when the [[Yugoslav Communists]] disagreed with the goal of establishing a Greater Albania and asked the Communists in Albania to withdraw their agreement. According to Hoxha, [[Josip Broz Tito]] did not believe that "Kosovo was Albanian" and [[Serbs|Serbian]] opposition to the transfer made it an unwise option.{{Sfn|Beloff|1985|p=192}} After the Albanian Communists repudiated the Greater Albania agreement, the Balli Kombëtar condemned the Communists, who in turn accused the Balli Kombëtar of siding with the Italians. The Balli Kombëtar lacked support from the people. After judging the Communists as an immediate threat, the Balli Kombëtar sided with [[Nazi Germany]], fatally damaging its image among those fighting the fascists. The Communists quickly added to their ranks many of those disillusioned with the Balli Kombëtar and took centre stage in the fight for liberation.{{Sfn|O'Donnell|1999|pp=10–11}}

The Permet National Congress held during that time called for a "new democratic Albania for the people". Although the monarchy was not formally abolished, [[Zog I of Albania|King Zog I of the Albanians]] was barred from returning to the country, which further increased the Communists' control. The Anti-Fascist Committee for National Liberation was founded, chaired by Hoxha. On 22 October 1944, the Committee became the [[Democratic Government of Albania]] after a meeting in [[Berat]] and Hoxha was chosen to serve as the interim Prime Minister of Albania. Tribunals were established for the purpose of trying alleged war criminals who were also accused of being "[[Enemy of the people#Albania|enemies of the people]]"{{Sfn|O'Donnell|1999|p=12}} and they were presided over by [[Koçi Xoxe]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Koçi Xoxe |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803125217605 |website=[[Oxford Reference]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref> From the beginning, the Democratic Government was an undisguised [[Communist state|Communist regime]]. In the rest of what became the Soviet bloc, the Communist parties were at least nominally parts of coalitions before they dropped all pretenses of pluralism and established one-party states.

After Albania's liberation on 29 November 1944, several Albanian partisan divisions crossed the border into German-occupied Yugoslavia, where they fought alongside Tito's partisans and the Soviet [[Red Army]] in a joint campaign which succeeded in driving out the last pockets of German resistance. During a Yugoslavian conference in later years, Marshal Tito thanked Hoxha for the Albanian partisans' assistance during the War for National Liberation (''Lufta Nacionalçlirimtare''). The [[Democratic Front of Albania|Democratic Front]], dominated by the Albanian Communist Party, succeeded the National Liberation Front in August 1945, and the [[1945 Albanian parliamentary election|first post-war election]] was held on 2 December of that year. The Front was the only legal political organisation which was allowed to stand in the elections, and the government reported that 93% of Albanians voted for it.{{Sfn|Vickers|1999|p=164}}

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Hoxha's internal policies were true to Stalin's paradigm which he admired, and the personality cult which was developed in the 1970s and organised around him by the Party also bore a striking resemblance to that of Stalin. At times it even reached an intensity which was as extreme as the [[Kim Il-sung's cult of personality|personality cult]] of [[Kim Il Sung]] (which Hoxha condemned){{Sfn|Hoxha|1979b|p=517}} with Hoxha being portrayed as a genius commenting on virtually all facets of life from culture to economics to military matters. Each schoolbook required one or more quotations from him on the subjects being studied.<ref>Kosta Koçi, interview with James S. O'Donnell, ''A Coming of Age: Albania under Enver Hoxha'', Tape recording, Tirana, 12 April 1994.</ref> The Party honored him with titles such as Supreme Comrade, Sole Force and Great Teacher. He adopted a different type [[military salute]] for the People's Army to render honors which was known as the "Hoxhaist salute", which involves soldiers curling their right fist and raising it to shoulder level.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eX8UAQAAIAAJ&q=hoxhaist+salute |title = The Rebirth of History: Eastern Europe in the Age of Democracy|last1 = Glenny|first1 = Misha|year = 1993| publisher=Penguin |isbn = 9780140172867}}</ref> It replaced the [[Zogist salute]], which was used by the [[Royal Albanian Army]] for many years.

Hoxha's governance was also distinguished by his encouragement of a high birthrate policy. For instance, a woman who bore an above-average number of children would be given the government award of [[Mother Heroine (Albania)|''Heroine Mother'' (in Albanian: ''Nënë Heroinë'')]] along with cash rewards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.medals.org.uk/albania/albania-pr/albania-pr021.htm|title=ODM of Albania: Title "Mother Heroine"|website=www.medals.org.uk}}</ref> Abortion was essentially restricted (to encourage high birth rates), except if the birth posed a danger to the mother's life, though it was not completely banned; the process was decided by district medical commissions.{{Sfn|Ash|1974|p=238}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/doc/albani1.doc|title=Albania – Abortion Policy – United Nations}}</ref> As a result, the [[Demographics of Albania|population of Albania]] tripled from 1 million in 1944 to around 3&nbsp;million in 1985.

=== Relations with China ===

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The [[Mustafa Band]] was a [[gang]] which was connected to counter-revolutionary elements such as the [[Albanian mafia]] and members of the royal [[House of Zogu]], and in 1982, it attempted to assassinate Enver Hoxha. The plan failed and two of its members were killed and another member was arrested.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shqiperia.com/lajme/lajm/nr/9174/Zbulohen-dokumentet-e-CIA-s-dhe-FBI-se-per-Xhevdet-Mustafen|title=Zbulohen dokumentet e CIA-s dhe FBI-se per Xhevdet Mustafen|publisher=Shqiperia.com|access-date=13 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeriikosoves.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=842:zbuluesi-ushtarak-xhevdet-mustafa-do-vendoste-monarkine&catid=27:dossier&Itemid=31|title=Zbuluesi ushtarak: Xhevdet Mustafa do vendoste monarkinë|publisher=Zeriikosoves.org|access-date=13 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521131611/http://www.zeriikosoves.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=842:zbuluesi-ushtarak-xhevdet-mustafa-do-vendoste-monarkine&catid=27:dossier&Itemid=31|archive-date=21 May 2013}}</ref>

According to Hoxha, after Albania's long-time prime minister Mehmet Shehu died in 1981, documents were found in a vault which pertainedpreviously belonged to ordershim and according to them, he would poison himHoxha and assume the leadership of the country, byorders Yugoslav intelligencewhich were foundissued inby aYugoslav vault which previously belonged to himintelligence.{{sfn|Hoxha|1982b|pp=625–626}} In his book ''The Titoites'', Hoxha arguesargued that this plan failed because Shehu was a coward who could not go through with the task and he figured that suicide would, at the very least, save his family from the punishment which he deserved for his counter-revolutionary activityactivities.{{sfn|Hoxha|1982b|pp=626–627}}

== Legacy ==

AIn 2016, the results of a survey which was conducted by the Institute for Development Research and Alternatives (IDRA) showed that 45% of Albanians believebelieved that Hoxha had a positive impact on the history of Albania, whereas 42% seeof hisAlbanians impactbelieved asthat he had a negative impact on the history of Albania.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2016|title=Results of the survey: Citizens understanding and perceptions of the Communist past in Albania and expectations for the future|url=https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/d/1/286821.pdf|website=[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]]|pages=68–69}}</ref> Younger generations (16–35 years old; born after 1981) tend to have a more negative view of Hoxha's contributions, while older generations (over 35 years old; born before 1981) tend to have a more positive view.<ref name=":4" /> Citizens in the regions of southeastern and southwestern Albania thatwho were interviewed, had the most positive view of Hoxha, withrespectively, they comprised 50% and 55%, respectivelyof the entire population.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=9 December 2016|title=Former dictator still seen in positive light by many Albanians, poll shows|work=[[Tirana Times]]|url=https://www.tiranatimes.com/?p=130276|quote=According to a survey report on the Understanding and Perception of Citizens of the Communist Past in Albania, almost half of the population of Albania sees Enver Hoxha's role in the history of the country as positive. The study found that 55 percent of citizens who were interviewed in the regions of southern and southwestern Albania had the most positive view of Albania's former communist dictator.}}</ref> Others have viewed him as a dictator.<ref>{{cite web |title=Late Albanian dictator's museum transformed into tech centre for young |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/late-albanian-dictators-museum-transformed-into-tech-centre-young-2023-08-25/ |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Higgins |first1=Andrew |date=16 August 2021 |title=Guarding the Last Likeness of a Loathed Dictator? It's a Thankless Job. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/world/europe/albania-enver-hoxha-statue.html |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chamberlain |first1=Greg |date=12 April 2019 |title=Hoxha era ends in Albania – archive, 1985 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/12/hoxha-era-ends-in-albania-archive-1985 |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

== Awards ==

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[[Category:Albanian atheists]]

[[Category:20th-century atheists]]

[[Category:Albanian communists]]

[[Category:Albanian anti-fascists]]

[[Category:Albanian revolutionaries]]