From Sulejman Gjana
Part Four
Report-Information of Major Abaz Kupi and Professor Gaqo Gogo, on Developments in Albania during World War II
Memorie.al / The ‘National Organization of the Legality Movement’ offers a viewpoint and another version of the political-military developments during World War II, completely different from that of official communist historiography. Through a 31-page typewritten report to King Zog, then in London, written from Cairo and dated August 2, 1945, the Chairman, Major Abaz Kupi, and the General Secretary of the NOML, Prof. Gaqo Gogo, give us an extremely interesting overview of the anti-fascist resistance and major political and military developments in Albania during the period: April 1939 – November 1944. The clarity of thought, the beautifully written and extremely figurative language, the emotional nuances in describing the developments, the concrete work, and the political stances of the NOML, mark a culmination of epistolary journalism and the philosophical and political conception of one of the three parties that represented and dominated political life in Albania during World War II.
CALL TO THE PEOPLE and ALL ALBANIAN POLITICAL PARTIES
On 26.VIII.’44, Mr. Abaz Kupi issues a call to the people and all Albanian Political Parties:
“Albanian brothers! Our dear Albania is drowned in blood and terror; immersed in anarchy, in a fratricide, in a catastrophe: The Homeland is in danger. Our existence is undergoing the greatest upheaval in history.
This danger cannot be averted until the divided and scattered Albanians unite around a single goal: ‘The Salvation of Albania.’
The dramatic nature of today’s situation is incomparable to any tragedy our country has overcome, and this dramatic situation is shaking us and is about to overturn and desolate all the remaining foundations of the Albanian ruins.
We must put an end to this situation. We must unite and say ‘stop’ and ‘enough’ to the grief and torrent that our country is enduring. Let passion, fear, sympathies, and antipathies be put aside. Let these be forgotten and let us reach out our hands to each other, because such an embodiment of forces can ensure the salvation of Albania and the salvation from the eternal disappearance of the Albanian people.
Ideologies, political currents, local antagonisms, personal grudges, and political passions must be set aside until we cross the abyss of danger and until the salvation of Albania is secured. The villages that are burning, the houses that are destroyed, the roads and bridges that are broken, cannot be repaired with the money of foreign peoples, but with our toil and sweat.
The daily average of the dead and wounded among the sons of our country is terrifying, and this fratricide is meaningless. Why is this blood being shed? Only for destruction. Union is imposed on us by the interest of the Homeland, because if we act this way, not only our friends, but also our enemies, will be forced to honor us more. This is the path of salvation and happiness, so may God help us and let us unite as soon as possible, to cut short the advance of every danger that may come upon us.
We are in fratricide. Albanian is fighting against Albanian. What a misfortune! The wounds that our enemies opened were not enough for us, but we opened and are opening new wounds.
To the murders committed by the enemies, we are adding murders that we are committing with our own hand. We are destroying houses, we are breaking up villages. We are magnifying the miseries of our people. We will all cry together, when we realize that this strife and fratricide will bring profit to neither side, but only the destruction of the Homeland. Unfortunately, it will be too late then.
History shows us that it is up to every generation of a people to fulfill some serious duty when the occasion arises. This time, it is up to us to fulfill this duty. Every misunderstanding or every disagreement and opposition among us, we can solve wisely, at the right time, but in carrying out this burden, we must be together and give our hand to each other, with love and a clean heart.
I have always been of the opinion for a general union, and this time, this opinion and this effort, I have tried to implement by avoiding, within the possibilities, the unwanted and condemned fratricide by the Albanian people.
I am more than sure that all Albanians, with tears in their eyes, seek this sincere union of all political Organizations in Albania, for the reconciliation of hearts, to stop the fratricide, which is as bloody as it is harmful.
Therefore, for the sake of the Homeland, I call on the Albanian people and all political parties in Albania, to all strive to achieve a general union, because the need of the extremely critical moments commands this, and the interest of the Homeland imposes it!”
With the English Mission!
On October 8, ’44, we meet with the English in Veltë and study the general situation. The English inform us that the situation, as it currently appears, is not going to change for the time being. The landings that were expected to happen will not happen. The requests we made through countless telegrams have not been answered so far, except that an order has come for Colonel MacLean to leave.
Even if the landing happens, the English tell us, the English political manner developed in Albania still cannot be changed. Perhaps we are to blame for the momentary state of Albanian nationalism, but let’s leave this responsibility to England for the future.
We do not foresee a landing in Albania of significant style, and we have no such signs. All of this, the English tell us, is being announced to you because you have gathered a considerable force in Prezë and with the other forces you have in the nearby districts, relying on the news of the landing, you should not undertake an activity which will cost you much.
I asked the English for help once again, but again it was in vain. Then, in the bad situation in which our nationalism found itself, as a follower of English policy, Mr. Kupi, together with the entire Movement, declared that every undertaking that the Movement and he had made had been based on the advice and directions of the English Mission, which the missionaries confirm and tell Mr. Kupi to always hope for the friendship of Great Britain.
Mr. Kupi answers that he also considers them friends and tells Colonel MacLean that he, together with his comrades, must act on the basis of the order they have received and pass through our roads, and for every need that arises, I am able to procure everything he needs, even an airfield, I can secure for him.
Against the continuous provocations by the communists, the English mission had advised us to make a defensive retreat, because on the other side, we had the fire of the Germans, whom we were counter-attacking.
We ask to meet with Mr. MacLean once more because we were informed of the Allied landings. But the landing places were unknown.
The meeting had to be fast, to determine the actions as soon as possible. We were collecting ammunition and armaments and we wrote to the Colonel to inform his General Headquarters about the activity we intended to carry out to facilitate the landing.
We met with the Colonel, we discussed, showing him our desire to help the Allied landing, and we told him that it is in the interest of both parties that the Person of Abaz Kupi, along with as few people as possible, leave Albania.
They told us that after you arrive in Italy, we will take care of you and secure all the necessary facilities for you, and count on us just as we have been supported by you. We told them that our desire is to meet our King, and they told us that they will do their best to fulfill this wish.
On October 31, ’44, at 10 o’clock at night, we leave the Mati Coast with a very small boat, for Italy.
There were six of us: Abaz Kupi, Gaqo Gogo (General Secretary of the Movement), Mr. Kupi’s two sons, and two officers from Kruja, as bodyguards for Mr. Kupi.
After 18 hours of travel in the Adriatic, the boat’s engine breaks down and we are forced to remain at the mercy of the sea for 7 days and 7 nights, without eating or drinking, until an English destroyer accidentally rescued us and brought us to Brindisi.
From there we notified the General Headquarters of Bari, which immediately picked us up and concentrated us in a villa near the village of Rutigliano. Here we stayed for a long time, waiting day by day to leave for London, but in vain. According to the desire expressed by us, we preferred our stay in Egypt, and we reached this desire on April 1, ’45.
During our stay in Rutigliano of Bari, we only carried out the activity of memoranda addressed to Messrs. Eden and Alexander. We also addressed a letter together with a copy-memorandum to Your Majesty.
(Reference: Copy-Memorandum addressed to Your Majesty).
Financing of the Movement
This financing was done with small aids from merchants and the people and with Mr. Kupi’s personal material possibilities.
Wars of the Movement
The war between Mr. Kupi and his comrades and 2000 fascist militiamen.
The Mat war.
The German Lake war: many killed.
The German Zall war: many killed.
The Burrel Siege: 2000 houses burned.
The Shtamë war: 300 dead, prisoners of war, war material, etc.
The Gurrë war: losses on the enemy side.
The Dam war: losses on the enemy side.
The Suç war: 200 dead and wounded.
The Kruja war: 500 Germans killed, many prisoners and various materials, lasted three days and three nights.
With the availability of a force from our Movement, Col. MacLean and his comrades have carried out various sabotages: Bridges (Gjola Bridge), and battles on the seashore.
Mr. Kupi personally, together with Col. MacLean, has continuously destroyed German military columns, which they have burned, destroyed, and killed.
Force of the Movement
At all times, a military force of up to 5,000 men was maintained, and in some cases, we had up to 10,000 men. 25,000 men have been in disposition (available).
Propaganda Service
The newspaper “Atdheu” continued to come out for one year, a total of 21 issues, 210,000 copies; 250,000 copies of tracts. In 6 months, 24 speeches. Two personal letters addressed to Your Majesty; 1 letter addressed to Mr. Fan Noli; 1 letter addressed to Mr. Roosevelt; 1 letter addressed to Mr. Churchill.
Organization of the Movement
Central Committee – General Secretariat – General Staff – Propaganda Service and Press – Legality Youth – Section of Economy and Finance – Section of Sanitation.
Wars of the Legality Youth
Vorze – Shkall’ e Tujanit – Prezë – Krujë.
Regional Organization of the Movement
Tiranë – Shkodër – Dibër – Peshkopi – Mat – Durrës – Kavajë – Shijak – Kosovë – Vlorë – Berat – Sarandë – Korçë.
Majesty,
It has been ten months since we have been outside. We wanted to meet with Your Majesty. Our departure from Albania was not caused by weakness, but only by the international situation, which did not allow our conflict to be resolved by force in any way, and for this, we were advised by the English military Mission.
I repeat, our Movement has always and continuously developed combat operations, relying on the Allied landing. Since this did not happen, then in agreement with the English officers, such as Col. MacLean, Amery, and Smiley, we decided to leave to avoid the fratricide, which would have been harmful at that time and at the same time could cause different interpretations by the opposing side.
Finally, Majesty, after we would depart from our comrades, the General Committee of the Armed Forces of the Legality Movement addressed the following letter to the 100 or so leaders of our detachments:
“Dear comrades! With you, I have fought from the first moment when our ‘Holy Land’ was attacked by fascist enemies, we have been the ones who have done our best to save ‘National Honor’ and have strived in our most critical situation, with all the great difficulties that have arisen, for a general union and cooperation of all Albanians, without distinction of current and ideology; we have strived for the pacification and brotherhood of souls, to avert the civil war and to secure the common war for the expulsion of the occupier from our holy land.
Today, under the circumstances we are in, I am forced to leave, so as not to affect the Allied policy and to avoid fraternal bloodshed. I am obliged to make this departure, leaving you for a short time, my dear comrades, and ordering you to remain faithful to all the instructions I have given you from time to time, and during my absence, to regulate yourselves in a non-exposing manner and to wait patiently for the ‘second order.’
We are the ones who have fought and made the battles of Durrës, Shtamë, Krujë, etc., and I am sure that we will win the ‘Last Battle’ as well.
May God help us! Long live Albania; long live King Zog I; long live the Friends of Albania.”
Abaz Kupi, October 28, ’44. Mati Coast.
Majesty, even with our departure, the Flag of our Movement continues to wave through the mountains and fields of Albania and is waiting for its Flag Bearer! Memorie.al
General Secretary of the Legality Movement | Chairman
Prof. Gaqo GOGO | Major Abaz KUPI
Cairo, August 2, 1945
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