Enver Hoxha
Leader of Albania from 1944 to 1985 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Enver Hoxha (Albanian: [ɛnˈvɛɾ ˈhɔdʒa] ⓘ; 16 October 1908 – 11 April 1985) was an Albanian politician who was the ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 until his death, a member of its 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 from 1944 to 1954 and at various times was both foreign minister and defence minister of the country.
Enver Hoxha | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait of Hoxha, c. 1985 | |
| First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania | |
| In office 8 November 1941 – 11 April 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ramiz Alia |
| 22nd Prime Minister of Albania | |
| In office 23 October 1944 – 19 July 1954 | |
| President | Omer Nishani Haxhi Lleshi |
| Deputy | Myslim Peza Koçi Xoxe Mehmet Shehu |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim Biçakçiu |
| Succeeded by | Mehmet Shehu |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 22 March 1946 – 23 July 1953 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Omer Nishani |
| Succeeded by | Behar Shtylla |
| Minister of People's Defence | |
| In office 23 October 1944 – 31 July 1953 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Beqir Balluku |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1908-10-16)16 October 1908 Gjirokastër, Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 11 April 1985(1985-04-11) (aged 76) Tirana, Albania |
| Resting place | People's Cemetery, Tirana, Albania 41.37259°N 19.80914°E / 41.37259; 19.80914 |
| Nationality | Albanian |
| Political party | Party of Labour of Albania |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Hysen Hoxha (uncle), Beqir Hoxha (grandfather), Fahrije Hoxha (sister), Haxhire Hoxha (sister), Sanije Hoxha (sister), Besmir Hoxha (grandson), Ermal Hoxha (grandson), Shkelzen Hoxha (grandson) |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | Halil Hoxha (Father), Gjylihan/Gjylo Hoxha née Çuçi (Mother) |
| Residence | Blloku Tirana |
| Alma mater | University of Montpellier Free University of Brussels |
| Awards | Hero of the People Order of Lenin Order of Skanderbeg Order of the People's Hero Order of Suvorov Hero of Socialist Labour Order of the Partisan Star Order of the Flag |
| Ideology | Left-wing Nationalism[1] Marxism-Leninism Hoxhaism |
| Signature | .svg) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | LANÇ (1941–1945) People's Republic of Albania (1944–1985) |
| Branch/service | LANÇ (1941–1945) Albanian People's Army (1944–1985) |
| Years of service | 1941–1985 |
| Rank | Army General |
| Commands | LANÇ Albanian People's Army (supreme commander) |
| Battles/wars | |
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 the liberation of the country, the monarchy of 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 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.
Hoxha's government was characterised by his proclaimed firm adherence to anti-revisionist Marxism–Leninism from the mid/late-1960s onwards. After his break with Maoism in the 1976–1978 period, numerous Maoist parties around the world declared themselves Hoxhaist. The International Conference of Marxist–Leninist Parties and Organisations (Unity & Struggle) is the best-known association of these parties.