The Formation of the Albanian Communist Party
The Formation of the Albanian Communist Party
Elton Varfi
The inception of the Albanian Communist Party in November 1941 marked a significant turning point not only for the communist groups scattered across Albanian territory, but also for the country's history over the subsequent forty-five years; a turn of events with negative undertones. According to the historiography of the dictatorship, the formation of the Albanian Communist Party had a sole architect, Enver Hoxha, who played a pivotal role in constructing this false narrative, particularly through the authorship of a book[1] written between 1975 and 1976. In this book, Hoxha presented his viewpoint on the unfolding events, drawing upon his own memories.
Enver Hoxha (1908-1985), leader of the Albanian communists from 1943 until his death.
Enver Hoxha, acting as an “omniscient narrator,” often embellished the circumstances with anecdotes and “juicy” details. His admirable “steel-trap memory” vividly described the night the Party was formed, attributing distinct psychological profiles to the key figures, even thirty-five years post the events. In this descriptive and role-assigning context, he donned an unchallenged conductor's attire, mainly since those who could contradict him were not in a position to do so.
Hoxha placed himself at the center of the narrative, assuming an absolute protagonist role. The meeting was attended by three groups: "Korça," which included Hoxha himself, "Scutari" boasting notable names like Qemal Stafa and Vasil Shanto, and the "young" group with members like Sadik Premtja and Anastas Lula, later recognized as foes; along with two members of the Yugoslav Communist Party, Dushan Mugosha and Miladin Popović, making a total of fifteen attendees.
Qemal Stafa (1920-1942), founding member of the Albanian Communist Party and leader of the Youth Movement, was assassinated on May 5, 1942.
Vasil Shanto, (1913-1944) also known as Vasko, was one of the founders of the Albanian Communist Party. Alongside Qemal Stafa, he led the communist group of Scutari.
According to Hoxha, he delivered the opening speech and proposed the formation of the Albanian Communist Party, a proposal strongly supported by Qemal Stafa, Vasil Shanto, and the Yugoslav emissaries.
Despite their disagreement, the “young” group couldn’t thwart the formation of the Albanian Communist Party. During the meeting, the communist factions established a provisional central committee composed of seven members: Enver Hoxha, Qemal Stafa, Ramadan Çitaku, Koçi Xoxe, Tuk Jakova, Kristo Themelko, and Gjira Marko.
But what really transpired?
On November 8, 1941, in Tirana, the Albanian Communist Party was founded, later renamed the Labour Party in 1948.
The house where the Albanian Communist Party was founded.
Yugoslav political leadership managed to unify the Albanian communist militants, previously dispersed into various groups. Tito sent his emissaries, Dushan Mugosha and Miladin Popović to Albania, who played a crucial role in the formation of the Albanian Communist Party. Popović, freshly released from Peqin prison by Vasil Shanto, emerged as the real leader shortly after the formation, promptly initiating a purge of undesirable elements within the freshly formed party. In April 1942, at a house serving as the base for communists, the first consultative meeting of the Albanian Communist Party was held, focusing primarily on organizing armed resistance and selecting a leader for the party. Four candidates were nominated for the position of secretary: Qemal Stafa, Ymer Dishnica, Sadik Stavaleci, and Enver Hoxha. The election, however, never occurred.
Enver Hoxha and Miladin Popović.
Later, Ymer Dishnica would observe and testify to a "strange detachment between Enver Hoxha and Qemal Stafa." Only two weeks later, on May 5, 1942, under unclear circumstances, Qemal Stafa, the most enlightened communist of the Scutari group, was killed in a firefight against the fascists.
On June 28 and 29, 1942, the Yugoslav emissaries organized an extraordinary conference of the communist party in Tirana. The first two high-ranking members to be purged were the leaders of the "young" group, Sadik Premtja and Anastas Lula. Accused by Popović as "factionalists" and saboteurs, they were expelled from the party, yet due to their services for the communist cause, they were "invited" to continue working for the party.
The real sins of these two "young" group leaders were their opposition to Yugoslav leadership, demonstrated shortly after the party's formation. They didn't want the Albanian Communist Party to merely serve as the tail of the Yugoslav Communist Party, a stance Miladin Popović didn’t forgive. Meanwhile, the Albanian Communist Party was still without a political head.
The favorable tides for the Russians during the Battle of Stalingrad in February 1943 prompted the two Yugoslav emissaries, who were controlling the Albanian communist movement, to expedite the selection of party and consequently country leaders. The future dictator Enver Hoxha was a young man devoid of political and organizational experience, making it a mystery how he managed to become the party leader. He was present on the night of the party's formation, but according to some direct testimonials, he attended as an escort to Pilo Peristeri, a member of the Korça group. His role immediately post-formation was that of a “treasurer”.
It was the Yugoslavs who gambled on him, viewing him as a useful instrument to pursue party objectives. For this reason, they organized a conference of the Albanian Communist Party from March 17 to March 22, 1943, in Labinot district of Elbasan. From this conference, Enver Hoxha emerged as the General Secretary of the Albanian Communist Party.
Photo of the location where the Labinot Conference took place in 1943.
In 1943, shortly after the Labinot conference, Miladin Popović reported to his superiors in Yugoslavia about Hoxha: “A man capable of leading, he has grown rapidly and is the strongest fighter for party purification, a good and decisive organizer, albeit lacking in theory. The most popular person in the party, already a member of the "Korça" group four years ago. “
Under the leadership of Enver Hoxha, the communist party would oppress the Albanian people for a whopping forty-five years.
Enver Hoxha visiting the house where the Albanian Communist Party was founded. November 1948.
Out of the fifteen founding members, only four led peaceful lives without persecution: Enver Hoxha, Pilo Peristeri, Sadik Premtja—who managed to evade a death sentence by settling in Paris—and Sinan Hasani who moved to Kosovo before the war ended; the rest either died in war, were executed, or were interned in the remotest parts of the country, living lives full of hardship under constant surveillance.
[1] “Kur lindi Partia”, literally
translated, "When the Party was Born".
0 Comments