Albania
(History prior to WWII & WWII relevant facts)

Primary Albania reference; Listing of Political figures

Albania - Republic led by King Zog (Ahmed Bey Zogu) from 1925 to 1939; General Enver Hoxha (Hodja) (Communist - appears to have held Lenin and Stalin in very high regard) led the resistance against the Italian occupation. The Hungarian-born countess, Geraldine Nagy-Appony, was married in 1938 to King Zog, a Muslim chieftain who proclaimed himself monarch in 1928. Enver Hoxha was extremely isolationist and strongly opposed being absorbed by Yugoslavia. During the war Hoxha worked hard to maintain the Albanian resistance movement as independent from the Yugoslav resistance and from the UK influence (Greece). After the war, Koci Xoxe (pro-Yugoslavian), was appointed Minister of the Interior, thus in control of the secret police and all other security forces. Albania was considered by Italy primarily as a military bridgehead for Balkan campaigns (the coal resources in HoI may be overstated). "Treaty of Tiranë (defensive alliance brought Italians to train the Albanian army) also allowed the Italian navy access to the port of Vlorë, and the Albanians received large deliveries of armaments from Italy. " The Albanian army, though always less than 15,000-strong, sapped the country's funds. Mehdi Frasheri (leader in the Albanian government).

Oil represented the country's main extractable resource. A pipeline between the Kuçovë oil field and Vlorë's port expedited shipments of crude petroleum to Italy's refineries after the Italians took over the oil-drilling concessions of all other foreign companies in 1939. Albania also possessed bitumen, lignite, iron, chromite, copper, bauxite, manganese, and some gold. Shkodër had a cement factory; Korçë, a brewery; and Durrës and Shkodër, cigarette factories that used locally grown tobacco.

During much of the interwar period, Italians held most of the technical jobs in the Albanian economy. Albania's main exports were petroleum, animal skins, cheese, livestock, and eggs and prime imports were grain and other foodstuffs, metal products, and machinery. In 1939 the value of Albania's imports outstripped that of its exports by about four times. About 70 percent of Albania's exports went to Italy. Italian factories furnished about 40 percent of Albania's imports, and the Italian government paid for the rest.

Rome, however, delivered Tiranë an ultimatum on March 25, 1939, demanding that it accede to Italy's occupation of Albania. Zog refused to accept money in exchange for countenancing a full Italian takeover and colonization of Albania, and on April 7, 1939, Mussolini's troops invaded Albania. Despite some stubborn resistance, especially at Durrës, the Italians made short shrift of the Albanians. Unwilling to become an Italian puppet, King Zog, his wife, Queen Geraldine Apponyi, and their infant son Skander fled to Greece and eventually to London. On April 12, the Albanian parliament voted to unite the country with Italy. Victor Emmanuel III took the Albanian crown, and the Italians set up a fascist government under Shefqet Verlaci and soon absorbed Albania's military and diplomatic service into Italy's.

A nationalist resistance to the Italian occupiers emerged in October 1942. Ali Klissura and Midhat Frasheri formed the Western-oriented and anticommunist Balli Kombetar (National Union), a movement that recruited supporters from both the large landowners and peasantry.

In December 1943, a third resistance organization, an anticommunist, anti-German royalist group known as Legality, took shape in Albania's northern mountains. Legality, was led by Abaz Kupi.

In 1944, Enver Hoxha takes control as prime minister.

No reliable statistics on Albania's wartime losses exist, but the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration reported about 30,000 Albanian war dead, 200 destroyed villages, 18,000 destroyed houses, and about 100,000 people left homeless. Albanian official statistics claim somewhat higher losses.

Mehmet Shehu (associate and part of Hoxha's government)

Pre-War Politics (pre 1924 was heavy turmoil):

Progressive Party - The country's biggest landowner, Shefqet Bey Verlaci, led the Progressive Party.

Popular Party - Xhafer Ypi (head of the party); (Foreign Minister) Bishop Fan S. Noli (educated at Harvard) set out to build a Western-style democracy in Albania (1924); (Internal Affairs Minister) Ahmed Bey Zogu (became the future King Zog) left the Popular Party in 1922 with his engagement to the daughter of Shefqet Verlaci (the engagement was broken off after Zog's coronation).

Cominturn - Ali Kelmendi

Political leaders (alphabetical):

Military Leaders (alphabetical):

Military Background and involvement:

A draft was instituted in 1925 which yielded 5,000 to 6,000 men per year (of the 10,000 that came of age each year). The Italians provided training and equipment and had virtual command over them. Albania placed its security in Italian hands in November 1927 when it signed the Second Treaty of Tiranë, establishing an twenty year alliance. A British Gendarmerie was formed and kept (until 1938) by King Zog as a safeguard against the Italians.

By 1939, Albania had a trained reserve of at least 50,000 men. However only 14,000 were able to be mobilized to oppose the Italians and were quickly defeated by the Italian force (40,000 men). Abas Kupi with a couple battalions and a few recruits held up the Italian advance from Durazzo for 36 hours to allow King Zog and his family to escape.

During the war several communist resistance movements developed. The first was the NLM (National Liberation Movement) in 1941 which became the NLF in 1942/1943. And the "National Front" which avoided combat. Perhaps the most significant was the NLA (National Liberation Army) led by Enver Hoxha. In 1943 they had 20,000 men. By the end of 1944 they had about 70,000 men organized into several divisions.

World War II Era Economy:

Albania's leaders lacked accurate data on the country's agricultural output, as well as on the extent and characteristics of its farmland, livestock herds, and oil and mineral deposits. President Ahmed Zogu (later king Zog) sought Italian protection for Albania 1925, entering into economic agreements that Italy used to exploit Albania's oil, chromite, copper, and iron-ore reserves. Albania remained backward, however. In the late 1920s, agriculture contributed over 90 percent of the national income although only 8 percent of the country's land area was under cultivation and the entire farm sector could boast only thirtytwo tractors (see Table 3, Appendix). Even in 1938, Albania's industrial output amounted to less than 4 percent of national income, and annual per capita industrial production totaled about US$8. However, Italy did carry out extensive geological exploration, gauging for the first time the extent of Albania's mineral wealth. The Italians also improved Albania's infrastructure, modernizing Tiranë and constructing 1,500 kilometers of roads and several hundred bridges as well as Durrës harbor. World War II dealt Albania's economy severe setbacks except in the mining sector, where the mineral-hungry Italian and German occupying forces actually added to productive capacity. Durrës harbor and many of the country's roads and bridges, however, sustained damage during the war. In 1938 Albania's "industry" was 93% agricultural.

Modern Day Albanian Economy:

Natural resources: Oil, gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron, nickel.
Agriculture (55% of GDP): Wheat, corn, potatoes, sugar beets, cotton, and tobacco.
Industry (16% of GDP): Textiles, timber, construction materials, fuels, semi-processed minerals.

Hearts of Iron specific changes:

Add as military leaders:

Government Leaders:

Available Replacement Government Leaders:

New Government became Facist (when Italy took over):

OOB

There should be one Militia Division in Tirana.

Economy

HoI version 1.02 has:

Should be: