Albania 1939 1945

The Second World War in Europe has generated more literature than perhaps any other event in modern history. Much of the interest has focused on military history, occupation policy, puppet governments, and resistance movements in Europe's principal states. Often ignored in this flood of material, however, are the small nations of southeastern Europe. Yet in the small states the human suffering was no less profound, the destruction no less devastating, the heroism no less laudable, the treachery no less despicable, and the impact no less profound. Albania at War reviews the most important developments in Albania from the Italian invasion of the country in 1939 to the accession to power of the Albanian Communist Party and the establishment of a "people's democracy" in 1946. Fischer analyzes in great detail Italian goals and objectives in Albania and explains the eventual failure of Rome's policy, the subsequent German invasion of the country against the Axis Powers. This unique path breaking book provides a vigorous and thought-provoking analysis of competing external interests in Albania and explores the great obstacles that the Albanians faced in regaining their independence at the end of the war. Albania at War, 1939-1945 thoroughly covers the developments in Albania during that turbulent period. It is essential reading for all students of Albanian history.

The Italian occupation of Albania, which took place in April 1939, is a subject little covered in most texts pertaining to the history of our armed forces and is often mentioned in a few lines or described as an action of little importance and without difficulty. In reality, the invasion of the Kingdom of Albania was a wake-up call and showed all the inefficiency of the Italian Royal Armed Forces in a modern war as the Second World War would later be, which saw the Kingdom of Italy suffer defeat after defeat. What was supposed to be a 'walk in the park' cost the blood of Italian soldiers and sailors, especially in the area of Durres, and only the weakness of the military apparatus of the small Balkan state would not make the Italians pay dearly for the poor organization of the operation and logistical problems. The book, after a description of pre-1939 events, will focus on the stages of the invasion and then move on to a description of the integration of the Albanian armed forces into those of Italy.

In late January 1945, the new communist rulers of Albania began a campaign to prepare and sensitize public opinion in the country for the Special Court for War Criminals and Enemies of the People. The daily newspaper Bashkimi decried the leaders of Balli Kombëtar and Legality as traitors, noting on 2 February: “All without any exception will give accounts before the Albanian people and before Albania. Today or tomorrow the sword of Albanian justice will fall on their necks…” The Special Court, set up on 25 December 1944 by order of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council, opened its doors at the Kosovo Cinema, the building later to house the National Theatre, on 1 March 1945. On trial were sixty men.

The short period from 1943 through 1945 was a critical one for Europe, witnessing the great final battles of the Second World War, the defeat of Italy and Germany, the initial stages of post-war recovery, and the beginning of a new era. For Albania, too, this short time span was of monumental significance, indeed these decisive years were arguably even more important for Albania. They saw the exit of the Italians, the coming the Germans and the German occupation, the end of the remnant of the old regime, the maturing of the resistance movement, the intervention of the Allies, the victory of the communists and the construction of the Hoxha regime which would rule Albania with an iron fist for the next 45 years. While most of Europe has left the struggles of this period behind, not Albania. We are still witnessing the fallout from this period today. It is present not only in the discourse concerning the creation of the Albanians' image of themselves as a people and a state, but remains important in terms of contemporary political discourse. In a way the period from 1943 through 1945 is still a vital part of the twenty-first century cultural and political landscape in Albania. In part because of this continuing contemporary significance, a clear understanding of this period is particularly important. Scholars have recognized its pivotal role and as a result these few years has been studied extensively both within Albania and abroad. These studies have of course taken many forms including oral and traditional histories. As the years pass, along with the contemporary witnesses of those events, further study - always necessary because of the availability of new material and the fact that there is no single interpretation of history - becomes more heavily dependent of documents produced during the period.

On 16 April 1939 Victor Emmanuel III received the Crown of Albania at the Quirinal Palace. The "Land of the Eagles" and Fascist Italy would thus share a common destiny. Institutional changes were accompanied by the integration of the Albanian armed forces into the Italian ones. Albania managed to recreate an autonomous yet small army only after the Armistice of 8 September 1943. From that date the Germans, interested in controlling the territory and safeguarding the neutrality of the Balkan State, relied on the support of local anti-partisan militias and proceeded to recruit a few thousand Albanians, many of whom were Kosovars, into mountain units of the Waffen-SS. On the opposing side the Albanian Resistance, which also counted in its ranks various formations made up of Italian soldiers, strengthened gradually.

'The Area Handbook for Albania' seeks to present an overview of the various social, political, and economic aspects of the country as they appeared in 1970. The leaders of the Communist Party have gone to extremes to maintain an aura of secrecy about their nation and their efforts to govern it. Material on Albania is scanty and some that is available is not reliable but, using their own judgments on sources, the authors have striven for objectivity in this effort to depict Albanian society in 1970.