LATEST NEWS:

1960: The collapse of the USSR with "802 million Albanians"!

1960: The collapse of the USSR with "802 million Albanians"!

What are the events that marked Albanians and the world in 1960?

The year 1960 is characterized by the collapse of the foundations of Russian-Albanian "love" and the birth of a new Albanian-Chinese "love". The reason for the breakdown of these relations was the denunciation of Joseph Stalin's policy by Nikita Khrushchev and the latter's establishment of relations with Josip Broz Tito's Yugoslavia.

With the death of Stalin, in many countries of the Socialist Bloc there were overthrows of the Stalinist powers, installing those who supported the new, more liberal Soviet spirit - such as Wladyslaw Gomulka in Poland, Janos Kadar in Hungary, Todor Zhivkov in Bulgaria, etc. There were also eliminations and this scared Enver. And, one of those who wanted the overthrow of Enver was Khrushchev's new friend - Tito.


Socialist realist painting depicting Enver Hoxha giving a speech in Moscow

In November 1960, a meeting of 81 communist parties was organized in Moscow. The first speech, on November 10, was delivered by the Soviet leader, Khrushchev. After him, the leaders of other countries, who supported the new policies of the USSR, took the floor. On the same day, the delegation of the Communist Party of the USSR and the Labor Party of Albania (PPSh) met. In that meeting, from the Soviet side took part: Anastas Mikoyan, Frol Kozlov, Mikhail Suslov, Pyotr Pospelov and Yuri Andropov. The Albanian delegation was headed by Enver Hoxha. Mehmet Shehu, Hysni Kapo and Ramiz Alia were also present. In this meeting, the divergences in Albanian-Soviet relations were openly displayed. While, for the first time, there was also talk about the Vlora military base, as well as about the possibility of Albania leaving the Warsaw Pact. In this tense meeting, Mehmet Shehu says, among other things: "Shame on you, Comrade Kozllov, for allowing yourself to give Albania ultimatums: With us, or with China!".

On November 12, a meeting took place between Enver Hoxha and Khrushchev, to align their positions, but in vain. Because, Enver Hoxha's speech, on June 16, which lasted no less than two hours, turned everything upside down.

Yet another painting, which presents Enver's confrontation with the revisionists in Moscow

"It was very cold in Moscow then. And that speech seemed to drop the temperatures many degrees below zero. As if a bomb went off in the Georgievskaya Hall. Those who had given names to speak, withdrew and asked for time to repair their speeches in the context that had been created…”, said the translator Myfit Mushi.

The next day, Khrushchev again delivered a derogatory speech against the Albanian Labor Party and Enver Hoxha.

"Khrushchev said: 'Do you know, comrades, what Enver Hoxha has done in this hall? Leave us all with shit! I was late in the translation, but Enver told me: 'Keep translating'. And I said to him: 'He said that yesterday Comrade Enver smeared us all'! Enver just shook his head, as if to say: Everything is expected from him now...", says Mushi.

Khrushchev had declared in 1956 that he would make Albania "a jewel that would seduce the Muslim world". Enver liked this phrase, because "the example of Albania would help the countries of the Muslim world to see that Marxism-Leninism was the shining beacon of the prosperous and free life of the peoples"! But, after the breakdown of relations with the USSR, it was said that Khrushchev wanted to make Albania "like banana colonies".

Regarding the clashes in Moscow, it is said that Khrushchev threatens Enver and that the latter retaliates: "You have nothing to do with us, we are 802 million" (two million Albanians and 800 million Chinese)!

After the breakdown of relations with the USSR, Albania began to be more active in the Kosovo issue, infiltrating and often confusing the various illegal organizations operating in Kosovo and in the diaspora.

In 1960, the legend of Albanian football, Fadil Vokrri, as well as the master of speech, the poet Xhevdet Bajraj, were born.

Enver Hoxha and Mao Ce Duni are like bread from one dough

In 1960, the following countries gain independence: Cameroon, Togo, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Mauritania. On May 23, the Israelis admit that they have arrested, in Argentina, the Nazi Adolf Eichmann. The film "Ben-Hur" breaks the previous record for Oscar awards, while the legendary group The Beatles starts their career in Hamburg, Germany.

On January 4, 1960, at the age of 46, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Albert Camus, died in a traffic accident. 60 years after his death, Italian Giovanni Catelli says he was killed by KGB spies in retaliation for his anti-Soviet rhetoric. In the work "Death of Camus", Catelli reveals details in the diary of the famous Czech poet and translator, Jan Zabrana.

"He said that the KGB agents caused the damage to the car, which at high speed became fatal. The order is said to have been given by Dmitri Shepilov, Soviet Minister of Internal Affairs, in response to an article Camus wrote in 1957 in the newspaper 'Franc-Tireur' in March 1957.", he says.

As is well known, Camus had supported the Hungarian uprising of autumn 1956 and was critical of the Soviet response. He also wrote well about Boris Pasternak who was seen as anti-Soviet.

Albert Camus

On August 6, 1960, as a response to the US embargo, Fidel Castro nationalized the properties of Americans. And, when we are talking about the Cuban revolution, it must be said that on March 5, 1960, Alberto Korda takes one of the most famous photos in the world - that of the revolutionary Che Guevara. The original photo shows Guevara between a man and a palm tree. It is set to quickly become one of the world's most commercial images. This photo made the Argentine revolutionary the idol of youth and youth rebellion, everywhere in the world; made it a symbol of the fight for justice and equality. But the truth is that Che was ruthless, or as some scholars call him: a signer of death certificates.

Famous rock musicians were born in 1960: Michael Stipe, Michael Hutchence, Adam Clayton and Bono; as well as, actors: Antonio Banderas, Sean Penn, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Tilda Swinton and Kenneth Branagh. Meanwhile, the famous actor, Clark Gable, dies. /Telegraph/

Alberto Korda and his iconic photograph