ALBANIA
Ahmet Bey Zogu, later Zog I, "King of the Albanians"
Albania has had a long history of hardships. They gained their independence from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) in 1912. Albania has never experienced real "western style" democracy, but periods of chaos, and two dictatorships. The first was established by President Ahmet Bey Zogu (later he was proclaimed as king Zog I), and he made many reforms, started industrialization, and modernized the nation, but the country remained poor. Albania was later annexed by fascist Italy in World War II, forcing King Zog I to flee to Greece. After the communist takeover, Ahmet Bey Zogu had to give up the throne and live in permament exile in France (died in Paris, 1961).
Enver Hoxha, a former primary school teacher, became the new leader, the worst tyrant to ever come to power in Albania. He was one of the founders of the Albanian Communist Party. Hoxha became first secretary of the party's Central Committee and political commissar of the communist-dominated Army of National Liberation. He was prime minister of Albania from its communist take over in 1944 until 1954, simultaneously holding the ministry of foreign affairs from 1946 to 1953. As first secretary of the Party of Labour's Central Committee, he retained effective control of the government until his death. He was a ruthless marxist, killed off and jailed his oponents branding them as "fascists" and applying disastrous stalinist policies in agriculture and industry. He completely isolated Albania from the rest of the world for more than 35 years (like North Korea today), and later sought closer ties to communist China, as Hoxha believed that Brezhnev was not "communist enough".
Enver Hoxha Albania's first Communist leader
This man destroyed pride in the country, and under his mandate, it became one of Europe's poorest country. His communist party controlled every aspect of life, no matter how small, even neighbors could be an informant for the government (Segurimi). People tried to escape in everyway they could from this huge prison and poverty that Albania had become, and go to Greece, (the former) Yugoslavia and other neighboring countries for a better life. The people of Albania remained poor throughout these years and the government put little enphasis on the care of the people, today resulting in that Albania is Europe's poorest country. Enver Hoxha died in 1985, but was replaced with his cronies and the repression continued till 1990, when Sali Berisha won free elections. The problem is that although Communism was ended in Albania, a communistic style of government has remained in place, which keeps restricting individual freedoms. When Sali Berisha, a democrat, won the elections, it was quickly cancelled and a socialist government took over. The country has become ungovernable, chaos taking over, and law and order becoming almost non-existant. Now with the war in Kosovo, Albania is receiving thousands of ethnic Albanian immigrants, which is not ready to do, as it lacks money and infrastructure. While all of Albania's neighbors in Eastern Europe have made changes towards a free-market economy and reaping the benefits, Albania has not remained the same, and thiis makes them worse off. We hope that this country ends it's oppresive socialistic policies, and that it changes the planned economy to a free market economy. A change towards free market will help Albania, with a new, sound, and stable democratic government. Say no to marxism and old style socialism!