Memorie.al / Kolë Terova, 48 years old, caught between two fires – the threat of the partisans on one side, but also with his brother, whose name was on the German wanted lists – describes in detail his difficult position as a victim. This document clearly shows the methods of forced mobilization of many Albanians during 1944, but also the reason for a large wave of subsequent desertions, even before the war ended, as they realized that the victims of this war would not be the occupiers but the Albanians themselves, and that they had been forcibly turned into a fratricidal machine.
Kolë Terova was 48 years old at the end of the war, and had received a series of threatening summonses to be mobilized into the partisan ranks in September 1944. After threats, including death threats, he decided to write a letter to the communist leaders at the General Staff, revealing the whole picture of forced mobilization, the looting and burning that was taking place in villages and towns by partisan brigades, and the terror faced by simple, innocent Albanians like himself, who due to age or illness were unable to go up to the mountains and fight.
Caught between two fires – the threat of the partisans on one side, and being on the German wanted lists on the other – he describes in detail his difficult position as a victim. This document clearly shows the methods of forced mobilization of many Albanians during 1944, but also the reason for a large wave of subsequent desertions, even before the war ended, as they realized that the victims of this war would not be the occupiers but the Albanians themselves, and that willy-nilly they had been forcibly turned into a fratricidal machine. Here is his letter:
15 September 1944
TO THE NATIONAL LIBERATION STAFF
I, the undersigned Kola Llazo Terova, born in the village of Terovë and resident of the city of Korçë for more than 25 years, have the honour to present the following request:
Today, on 15 September 1944, at 12 noon, a letter was delivered to me here in Korçë, sent by the Commander of the Battalion of the XV Brigade, Amdi Babani, which I quote verbatim as follows:
V. F. L. P. [Front for National Liberation – transl.]
15/IX/1944
to comrade Kostë Tërova
Regarding the mobilization that took place in Terovë, the Village Council of Terovë has also designated Kolla to come as a soldier; if he does not come today, your goods, livestock, and house will be taken, your house will be burned, and you will go before the People’s Court,
comrade Amdi Babani
Comm: of the Battalion of the XV Brigade.
Furthermore, on this date another letter was delivered to me, sent by comrade Pirro, who has been stationed near the village of Terovë for about 2 years, as follows:
“The Terova brotherhood was opposed from the beginning of the National Liberation Movement until today; your family has not supported the war as it should. We have warned you many times, but you have not listened. Do not think we will warn you another time, no! You will be arrested and you will be tried before the Staff.
Partisan battalions have come to your village; the whole village has provided bases, washed their clothes, changed their clothes, done all the services; only your house has remained cold towards our war; you have not provided a base, you have not washed or changed the partisans. Whenever there have been drives for bread and other things, you have not given. We inform you that you must not take a single grain of bean, corn, wheat, or grass from your village; you must leave it in the village. This is the order of the Party: not a single kernel of harvest must go into the lairs where the enemy ‘Nazism’ rules.
If you do not respond to these words, severe measures will be taken. Our war requires human and material aid, not spectators and onlookers!”
15/9/1944
Partisan greetings, Pirro
signed
On this same date, the village council of Terovë also sent me a letter as follows:
“By order of the XV Brigade, the National Liberation Council of the Village of Terovë decided on the mobilization of 8 persons. Among these 8, Kola Llazo Terova was designated to go as soon as possible to the ranks of the Battalion of the XV Brigade, as a counter to the troublemakers of his fellow villagers. If you do not respond to this summons, your property will be confiscated, and your house in Terovë will be burned.”
With regret, I inform you that such a letter should not have been entrusted to come from a Commander, especially addressed to a member of a family that has been steadfast in the Party’s Ideology and has given considerable economic and moral aid to the Party. If necessary, we can prove such aid with documents. Likewise, my brother Kosta, whenever he has been called to a public meeting by the local authorities, has been one of the few people who spoke against Balli [Balli Kombëtar – transl.] and supported the Party, regardless of the risks. This is proven by the list given to the German command for his arrest.
At the same time, I inform you that during the threshing time, when I was in the village to help my brother, when the leaders of the Balli bands came to the village of Terovë – who, besides robbing us and the villagers of our harvest and money – forcibly recruited 22 young men from the village. I witnessed this myself and objected; for this reason they hit me and put me under observation for four days in a row. After we paid a sum of money, they gave me a permit for four days, and thus, together with my brother, I was forced to leave the village, leaving all our property at the mercy of the Balli bands for nearly twenty days.
The Commander’s letter informs me that I must report to the aforementioned high command within the day – i.e., within less than 5-6 hours. Otherwise, extreme measures will be taken, not only against me but also against my brother Kosta.
I know very well that until now such measures have not been taken against those who have been the strongest enemies of the Party and who have committed massacres and robberies against the population without exception. I am surprised that the said Commander would take such measures against a person like myself, without the slightest reason. Likewise, the Council of the Village of Terovë, without any right to act and decide concerning my person, has decided and presented a list of volunteers in which they have included me, without asking me and without the slightest right, since I am not under the jurisdiction of the Council of the village of Terovë – a council which I had no right to elect – but I only have the right to participate in the elections of the council of my own place of residence, in the city of Korçë.
I, the undersigned, born in 1896, who was exempted from military service from early times and never completed military service, and at the same time, from the most reliable sources, we have not learned to this day that the Staff has enlisted persons who have not completed military service and are 48 years old.
In the event that the Staff has decided on a general mobilization and is summoning to arms all comrades of my category and age here in the city, or if it takes into account the list decided by the Village Council – which has not the slightest right to decide for persons residing outside its district – then I will participate like all my comrades.
The letter sent by comrade Pirro offends us immensely, as he has been very poorly informed. As we said above, we know that whenever help has been requested from us, both in the village and here in Korçë, we have never refused, but have participated voluntarily and with full willingness, and have supported the war and the Party. Likewise, we have helped and continue to help several families in need, both with provisions and with money.
I inform you that, in addition to the aforementioned reasons (which I believe will be known to you), my brother Kosta appears on a list presented to the German command. He has been in hiding for more than a week. Therefore, if I leave, we will have to close our warehouse, which will immediately catch the eye of the occupier. The occupier will inevitably take severe measures not only against the two aforementioned persons but also against the family, which will either have to disappear completely from the city or remain and be arrested – a thing which we do not believe even the Staff itself would find reasonable.
We therefore request that you be so kind as to examine the matter in question, and if possible inform us of the outcome, and at the same time notify the Commander, the Council, and comrade Pirro not to take the above-mentioned measures, as they have not the slightest right or reason to do so. / Memorie.al
