Enver Hoxha
| Enver Hoxha | |
|---|---|
| |
| Personal life | |
| Date and place of birth | October 16, 1908 Gjirokastër, Albania |
| Parents | |
| Claimed religion | Islam (formerly) Atheism |
| Education | |
| Spouse | Nexhmije Hoxha |
| Children | Ilir Hoxha Sokol Hoxha Ranvera Hoxha |
| Date & Place of Death | April 11, 1985 |
| Manner of Death | Heart failure |
| Place of burial | Tirana |
| Dictatorial career | |
| Country | Albania |
| Military service | n/a |
| Highest rank attained | n/a |
| Political beliefs | Communism |
| Political party | Party of Labour of Albania |
| Date of dictatorship | 1944-1985 |
| Wars started | |
| Number of deaths attributed | |
Enver Hoxha (October 16, 1908 – April 11, 1985) was the Stalinist dictator of Albania from 1944 to his death in 1985.
Despite being little-known outside of Albania itself, he is considered one of the strictest and most authoritarian Eastern Bloc rulers of the Cold War era. Many in Albania claim that under Hoxha's leadership, the country endured the worst form of communism.[1] During Hoxha's oppressive 41 year-long rule, an estimated 6,000 people were executed and 100,000 people were imprisoned in Gulag-style concentration camps.[2] Enver Hoxha was known for his policy of extreme isolationism, severing ties with other communist states such as Yugoslavia in 1948, the Soviet Union in 1961 after Destalinization and finally China, Hoxha having viewed the post-Mao reforms as "revisionist". in the 1970s In 1967, he banned all religions from Albania.
Biography
Hoxha was born in to an Islamic family in 1908. He studied in France and joined the French Communist Party. 1936 he returned to Albania and worked as teacher. In 1939 Benito Mussolini annexed Albania. Hoxha lost his job and founded the Albanian Communist Party in 1941. After the Second World War he was declared as president. In his tenure Christians, Muslims, landowners, recalcitrant peasants and political opponents were sent to prison or executed.[3] In particular Catholics were persecuted. Hoxha cut the number of Catholic churches from 253 to 100 and all Catholics were stigmatized as "fascists".[4] After Khruschev criticized Stalin, Hoxha started to improve Albania's relations with China.[5]
Hoxha got support from the Chicago Area Friends of Albania.