Question by Pazuzu: Why did Khrushchev denounce the Albanian Communists?
While reading “Red Star over China” by Edgar Snow, I saw, briefly mentioned, that the then-current Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev criticized the Albanian communist government and isolated them from the rest of the Warsaw Pact nations. Why was this? What did the Albanians do to deserve this stigma from the Soviets? As far as I know, Albania was mostly separate from Yugoslavia, also a nation estranged in relations to the USSR. Was it because of Khrushchev’s criticisms of the Albanian government that Albania decided to side with the Chinese Maoist government rather than the USSR after the beginnings of the Sino-Soviet split?
This is a long series of questions, but I am extremely curious and could not find decent information on this anywhere. I would be happy to accept an answer, a redirection to an informational source, or both. Thank you!
Answers and Views:
Answer by Ajosdajd
Khrushchev made such a decision because the Albanian communist government executed a “Pro-Soviet member of the Albanian party” who in reality was feeding Yugoslavia information about Albania (a.k.a treason)
When Enver Hoxha came into power, Soviet/Albanian relations started to heal but Albania decided it did not want an alliance with the Soviet Union after they forced Czechoslovakia to become a Communist country instead of letting them decide to do so by themselves (by that I mean let the people).
China, after Albanian and Soviet relations completely died out, chose to help Albania economically by sending them tractors, food, etc, etc and the bond between them strengthened
At that point, under Enver Hoxha, Albania became a pretty powerful country and was one of the major exporters in Europe and also had a powerful military.
Once Hoxha died, country got bad people in power, people wanted to try out democracy, with the end of the strict communist rule, the brutal Albanian mafia came back and ran the streets, still do, and now Albania is a corrupt country, although it has insane opportunity to become a very powerful country if they get rid of Sali Berisha.
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Lenny says
USSR was maintaining an empire.
It was not enough to declare some regime Communist. That regime also had to bow to the Emperor and obey any commands from Moscow.
Some deviations were tolerated for those who were not yet tied themselves to the Soviet Empire (Libya, Syria, Ethiopia) or where strong Communist party did not take power yet (Italian and French Communist Party).
But if country was in the Soviet block, deviations were seen as revolt and crashed (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland) or became an enemy (Yugoslavia, China, Albania).
Tito of Yugoslavia dared to disobey Stalin.
China and Albania strayed away from the Empire after Stalin had died.