Galleries

Bunkerization

The withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact in 1968 and the further isolation of the country increased the dictator's anxiety about an imaginary attack by enemies on the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. Enver Hoxha, gripped by paranoia, in 1971, at the 12th Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania , initiated the fortification of defense lines, a project that was implemented intensively from 1975 until the mid-1980s. By 1983, 173,371 bunkers of various types had been constructed out of the planned 221,143, with an average construction rate of about 22,000 units per year. 

Enver Hoxha's program for bunkerization of the territory resulted in the construction of bunkers in every corner of Albania, from deep mountainous areas to the inner spaces of cities. Many of these concrete structures continue to be present everywhere, becoming an integral part of the landscape inherited from Albania's communist past.
The bunkers, designed to withstand military attacks of the twentieth century, are extraordinary structures in terms of engineering and construction features. They were never used for the purpose for which they were built. The cost of implementing the project for fortifying defence lines further exacerbated the state's financial situation, which was already facing economic difficulties.

 

 

The Warsaw Treaty

The Warsaw Treaty was signed on May 14, 1955, by the governments of eight communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe, including Albania. It was officially titled: "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance," but in reality, it was a comprehensive political-military pact. The member states established a Joint Command of the Armed Forces aimed at defending the borders of their territories from any possible aggression.

In December 1956, Khrushchev proposed to Hoxha the creation of a military base in Vlora. The proposal was accepted, and Vlora naval base became the only communist bloc base in the Mediterranean. There were anchored 12 submarines, 2 cruisers, 12 small ships, 24 auxiliary vessels, and a large number of armaments. According to the Albanian leadership, the Vlora Base would, among other things, ensure the control over the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and make a NATO attack against the People's Republic of Albania impossible by sea.
From 1956 to 1960, Albania was supported by the Soviet Union with armament and military equipment, as well as assistance in their use. To create a qualified military personnel, many young people from Albania were sent to study at military schools in the Soviet Union.
After the diplomatic relations were severed with the Soviet Union, on September 13, 1968, Albania declared the law for withdrawal from the Warsaw Treaty.