I don't think I've ever seen modern Albania done here, and your premise is a fascinating, if chilling, one. Please continue.
Where the Curtain is Yet to Fall: Communist Albania After the Death of Enver Hoxha
- Thread starter Parterre
- Start date
Interesting indeed. Im curious&wondering about the impact this will have on the other former Soviet States nearby. Will some of them maybe decide to try&stay Socialist/Communist? Or maybe go Capitalist&then regret it upon witnessing Albania surviving or even thriving? A lot depends though on if Education,Healthcare,Housing&Working Conditions are maintained or Improved&how they compare to conditions in ex SSR's under Capitalism. Greece may be fun too with the example up North for the Left to publicise etc.
And I thought Slobodan Milosevic's OTL persecution of Bosnian and Albanian muslims was bad! 
Nevertheless, I shall keep an eye on this timeline. The idea of a European North Korea is an interesting (if disturbing) idea.
Nevertheless, I shall keep an eye on this timeline. The idea of a European North Korea is an interesting (if disturbing) idea.I'm pleasantly surprised to see a such a positive response! To be honest, this was written on the spur while taking a "break" from essay writing (the obvious solution, I suppose, was to write more essays ) and a bit of research. This is probably why it's so detailed about what happens- so I wouldn't forget! Finals are rapidly approaching, but I think I can find the time to write the first installment sometime this week, which will cover the extended purges that compose the POD. Hopefully I'll get my four (!) essays done by tonight, freeing up the week for studying and TL-writing. Meanwhile, here's an appropriate picture of Hoxha and a few people who are going to find themselves personae non gratae very soon.
Also, I'd like to thank Ismailov for the help he's been giving me in my research. Probably means that we'll have an update in a week as opposed to a month.
) and a bit of research. This is probably why it's so detailed about what happens- so I wouldn't forget! Finals are rapidly approaching, but I think I can find the time to write the first installment sometime this week, which will cover the extended purges that compose the POD. Hopefully I'll get my four (!) essays done by tonight, freeing up the week for studying and TL-writing. Meanwhile, here's an appropriate picture of Hoxha and a few people who are going to find themselves personae non gratae very soon.
Also, I'd like to thank Ismailov for the help he's been giving me in my research. Probably means that we'll have an update in a week as opposed to a month.
Reading this, and so far, sounds awfully plausible -- the Albanian government creating the illusion of glasnost, fooling dissidents into thinking that they're living in a freer country when the government's actually tightening its reins, while welcoming foreign investment and plugging the nation into the global economy without actually implementing any market reforms.
One thing that came to mind while reading this was Eliza Dushku, one of Joss Whedon's go-to actresses. She's half-Albanian, and identifies quite strongly with that side of her heritage, to the point of getting an Albanian passport and being made an honorary citizen of Tirana. Given that Albania is under a North Korean-style dictatorship ITTL, that would likely be changed. Maybe she'd be an anti-Milloshi activist, protesting the communists' oppression of the Albanian people and its acquiescence to Serbian... behavior in Kosovo. Or if you wanna make this a touch dystopian, have her be a paid Western spokeswoman/apologist for the Tirana government.
One thing that came to mind while reading this was Eliza Dushku, one of Joss Whedon's go-to actresses. She's half-Albanian, and identifies quite strongly with that side of her heritage, to the point of getting an Albanian passport and being made an honorary citizen of Tirana. Given that Albania is under a North Korean-style dictatorship ITTL, that would likely be changed. Maybe she'd be an anti-Milloshi activist, protesting the communists' oppression of the Albanian people and its acquiescence to Serbian... behavior in Kosovo. Or if you wanna make this a touch dystopian, have her be a paid Western spokeswoman/apologist for the Tirana government.
Angel Heart
Banned
Not necessarily. The United States cooperates with anyone who has cash or is of any strategic interest to them (for example Saudi-Arabia). Ideology belongs to the cosmetics department.
And I thought Slobodan Milosevic's OTL persecution of Bosnian and Albanian muslims was bad!
Not really. OTL Muslims (like Hungarians, Vlachs, Roma, Bulgarians and other of Serbia's official minorities) weren't persecuted. In fact a lot of Bosnian Muslims fled to Serbia and Montenegro to find shelter in the Muslim inhabited Sandžak region. As for the Albanians it is a far more complex story that resembles the situation to the Serbs in Croatia. In short it was an uneasy and artificial sour relationship that turned bitter.
@Parterre: If you want to include Milošević and his gang in this story please keep one thing in mind: In short, it is a common misconception that he and his pals were greater Serbian imperialist obsessed with "ethnic cleansing". Instead the Serb leadership of the 1990s was a conglomerate of ruthless, unscrupulous and decadent opportunists. Greater Serbia was only an empty phrase used by Vojslav Šešelj and his SRS. While their neighbours had clearly defined goals, Serbia and her offshoot para-states acted like headless chicken.
Sloba and his wife Mirjana Marković aka The Red Witch of Dedinje were ideologically undead crypto communists who's only goal was power and personal profit. There's also Sloba's own narcissism created from the trauma caused by the suicide of both of his parents and Mirjana never getting over the rejection by her own father, but that's another story. On an ideological basis he and a surviving communist Albania should actually be best pals, especially if the issue around Kosovo is resolved. The only ones Sloba and his mafia fiefdom ever persecuted were political opponents.
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What sticks out in the OP is Milloshi suddenly becoming a Politburo member from obscurity. There were "hardliners" in it already like Hekuran Isai, Simon Stefani and Muho Asslani. Milloshi only achieved political notability in 1990-1991 when he came out in defense of Hoxha's legacy, but he was associated with Alia and coordinated a number of his his activities with him.
And I'm adding it to the wiki. An Albanian TL ? Fucks yes ! Hurray for obscure countries getting TLs !
Author of TL : Carry on and try to keep things believable. I have faith in you and your project.
A good attempt at an European Juche-style North Korean dictatorship! The curtain is truly "yet to fall", I would suspect especially at the Albania-South Epirus border
How are other countries? Are any more countries communist (Ceaucescu?)?
How are other countries? Are any more countries communist (Ceaucescu?)?
Greece dropped its claims to southern Albania in 1971. Hoxha called for normalizing relations with Greece (achieved in 1987 IRL), Greece tended to tie that in with assurances as to the rights of the Greek minority (a situation complicated by things like the anti-religious campaign.)
Thanks guys- this is reading week so I can assure you I'll wiggle in the time to put in an update, I swear.
Keep this in mind- the motivation is not so much a hatred of Islam but a part-nationalistic impulse to cleanse the country of "foreign influences" and partly a desire to prevent those influences from posing much of a threat. Thus the slaughter of villages is not out of any trigonometrical but rather a harsh and intolerant way of suppressing dissent.
Keep this in mind- the motivation is not so much a hatred of Islam but a part-nationalistic impulse to cleanse the country of "foreign influences" and partly a desire to prevent those influences from posing much of a threat. Thus the slaughter of villages is not out of any trigonometrical but rather a harsh and intolerant way of suppressing dissent.