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Just an idea I thought might be fun to explore:

OTL, Hoxha’s Albania split from the USSR camp over Khrushchev's de-Stalinization and instead choose to partner up with Mao’s China in economic and military matters.

Then in 1970s when China’s relations with the West improved Albania and the PRC drifted apart until Beijing finally cut off economic ties in 1978.

Now let’s look at an ATL scenario:

Hoxha breaks off ties with the USSR and makes nice with China but is removed from power/dies before the 1970s. The new leaders continue their ties to China. When Deng Xiaoping starts his reforms in China a similar movement is started in Albania. Obviously, Albania never sees the kind of financial success that China does but a continued influx of Chinese economic & security aid + improvements in the economy men’s that the communist one-party state still retains control over the nation. So Albania never joins NATO and remains an island of communism (even if it’s “Communism with Chinese Characteristics” type) on the Mediterranean.

For China, I don’t think there would be too many changes until we get to 2010s when the nation developed enough reach to set up large-scale projects & military installations in other nations. So instead of (or maybe in addition to) a Chinese naval base in Djibouti you have the PLA set up shop in European Albania.

How would this scenario impact the Yougoslav Conflict in 1990s/early 2000s? Does a “Denganist” Albania have any aspirations for Kosovo?

What does crime in Europe look like with no/much reduced Albania Mafia (which OTL arose from Albanian security personnel having training & access to weapons but little economic opportunities & social upheavals back home)?

How does N.A.T.O./the E.U./America respond to this situation?

How does Russia react to the situation in the Balkans?
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