By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Memorie.al / On October 16, 1973, while the entire world closely followed the bloody conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Arab nations – otherwise known as the “Yom Kippur War,” which lasted one month – the primary leader of communist Albania, Enver Hoxha, along with his two closest associates, the secretaries of the Central Committee of the APL (Party of Labour of Albania), Hysni Kapo and Ramiz Alia, received a group of high-ranking military officials from the Ministry of People’s Defence. They had visited his villa in the center of the leadership “Blloku” to wish him a happy birthday. During his speech, after welcoming them, the communist leader Enver Hoxha spoke to them about the international situation, centering on the armed conflict in the Middle East.
The above is disclosed by an archival document from the fund of the former Central Committee of the APL. During the conversation with the high-ranking military men, Enver Hoxha spoke on the role of the superpowers (USA and the Soviet Union) in the Middle East conflict, focusing particularly on the strategic importance of Arab oil. At that time (October 1973), communist Albania was in an important phase of its foreign policy, as the first cracks had appeared with the People’s Republic of China led by Mao Zedong following US President Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing – an event that would lead to the infinite isolation of official Tirana from the rest of the world.
In that meeting, which took place during a moment of high international tension, Enver Hoxha focused his speech on “the unity of the army with the party, analyzing the threats looming over Albania and the Albanian state’s stance toward superpower intervention in regional conflicts.” His speech remains an important testament to the political language and diplomatic strategy of official Tirana at the time, where its primary leader sought to interpret international crises by presenting Albania as a “principled island in a sea of imperialist intrigue.” More details are provided by the document in question, which Memorie.al is publishing in full, in the context of current events taking place in the Middle East.
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT OF ENVER HOXHA’S MEETING WITH A GROUP OF MILITARY OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, HELD AT HIS HOME, IN THE PRESENCE OF HYSNI KAPO AND RAMIZ ALIA
“THE PARTY TEACHES US TO WORK, TO CREATE, TO BE VIGILANT, AND TO DEFEND”
From a conversation with a group of military officials
October 16, 1973
Welcome, comrades, and thank you for the visit. I am very pleased that we meet. May I repay your kindness in times of joy? The honor you show me belongs to our heroic Party, which educated and tempered us, which taught us and continues to teach us every day how to fight and work constantly and better for the high interests of our brave people.
Therefore, we dedicate our lives to it, our dear Party. The amount we have done for the wonderful people of our country is very little. No matter how much a person works, no matter how long their life may be, it cannot be said that they have fully performed their duty toward the fatherland and their own people.
We are all forever indebted to the people who gave us birth and raised us; therefore, we must serve them with loyalty until death. As you know, the external and internal dangers that could threaten Albania are not impossible; therefore, the Party teaches us to work, to create, to be vigilant, and to defend. In the Middle East, the Arabs are fighting against the Zionists, the American imperialists, and the Soviet social-imperialists.
Both imperialist superpowers, driven by their own interests, are doing everything they can to ensure the Arab peoples live in slavery, so that their wealth serves American and Soviet imperialists. Thus, the current war has its roots in their greed to seize the wealth of the Arab peoples, who want to be liberated and live free.
The state of Israel is nothing but a weapon in the hands of the Americans, while the Soviets play the role of the “fire pump” (extinguisher) in the liberation war of the Arab peoples, who have awakened to oppose colonialism and neo-colonialism.
The interests of the imperialists and the aspirations of the Arab peoples are colliding; they are facing each other on the battlefield. Do not forget, comrades that the war is taking place here in the Mediterranean basin, near us, and its flames could extend even beyond the state borders of the warring parties.
The Arab peoples, regardless of the degree of unity among them, joined together in the war against the common enemy. Thus, a favorable situation has been created for their struggle, which neither the Americans nor the Soviets desire.
If this revolutionary state continues, it will contribute to the strengthening and tempering of Arab unity to the detriment of the American and Soviet imperialists. In the course of the war, these peoples will better discover the intrigues and plots of the enemies, enrich their experience of resistance against them, and they will win.
In this war, the Arabs will get to know their friends and enemies even better and will know how to more correctly value what freedom and independence – won with blood, sweat, and sacrifice – truly are. This revolutionary moment in the Middle East has shaken the entire capitalist world.
The issue here is not the loss of the Sinai desert, but the great interests of the capitalist oil concerns. The Arab underground holds 7 percent (note: historically cited as much higher, potentially a transcription error in the original speech for 70% or specific regional reserves) of the world’s total oil reserves; thus, in relation to the land surface, this is a significant amount.
If this armed conflict hinders the oil supply, all the imperialists, one after another, will be put in difficulty. It is very possible that the imperialists will intervene in this war; in fact, it can be said that their intervention has already begun.
The Americans are sending armaments to Israel; some news says the Soviets are also sending a few weapons to the Arabs. In truth, the Soviets do not want to help the Arabs at all, because their common interests with the United States are much greater; therefore, they do not want to confront them, but they have found themselves cornered before world public opinion and have no choice.
It is understood that under these conditions, the fates of the war depend on the resistance of the Arabs themselves. We, as you know, have been and will be on the side of the Arab peoples and all other people are fighting for freedom and independence. The stronger, more vigilant, armed, and prepared for defense we are, the more our friends are helped.
We are a small country, but with the possibilities we have, we support our friends unreservedly. When it comes to defending the fatherland and our friends, we fear no one; on the contrary, the enemies fear us – not because we have missiles and Mirages, but because we have ideological weapons that enlighten world opinion.
These weapons are stronger and have much more effect than missiles and Mirages do. Herein lies the reason for the great love and respect that the peoples of the world have for Albania. In Arab countries, as in all other countries of our globe, they speak of Albania for its just and principled stance toward international events.
I and my present comrades, Hysni and Ramiz, thank you very much for the visit you paid us, dear comrades of the war, officers of our glorious army. Among you, there are also veterans who have retired, but we are all one, for we all emerged from the war.
Convey to all comrades – soldiers, officers, non-commissioned officers, and veterans of our People’s Army – our warmest greetings, the best wishes of the Party and its Central Committee. I invite you to raise a toast to our glorious Party and our brave army! Long live the Party! / Memorie.al
