Albanian People's Army

Enver Hoxha was the Commander in chief of the UPS from 1946 until his death in 1985

The Albanian People's Army (Albanian language: Ushtria Popullore Shqiptare, UPS ) was the army of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1946 to 1990. It took part in the Warsaw Pact until it withdrew in 1968. It was dissolved in 1990 and retained its current form through the Albanian Armed Forces.

Albanian People's Army
Ushtria Popullore Shqiptare
Founded	1944
Service branches	Albanian People's Ground Force Albanian People's Navy Albanian People's Air Force
Headquarters	Tirana,Albania
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Enver Hoxha
Manpower
Military age	15-49
Conscription	Yes
Active personnel	120,000 active troops
Reserve personnel	500,000 reserve troops
Related articles
History	World War II World War II in Albania Liberation of Tirana Kosovo Operation (1944) Operation Valuable Vlora incident Gramos Incident Corfu Channel incident World War II Battle of Përmetit Battle of Reç German invasion of Albania Battle of Gjorm Battle of Drashovica Battle of Tirana and Kruja (1943) Battle of Pezë (1943) Liberation of Tepelena Battle of Leskovik Operation "Edelweiss" Cold War Greek Civil War Albanian–Greek Border War (1949) First combat operations of FASH First Albanian air force incident against US air force Albanian–Yugoslav aircraft incident (1967)

Bunkers in Albania
Site history
Built	More than 750,000 bunkers and tunnels
Built by	Enver Hoxha

SOURCES:

Rank of Albanian Army
Rank	7th in the world (1980)

Accession Number:

ADA494819 Title:

Transforming the Albanian Armed Forces, Overcoming the Challenges Descriptive Note:

Research paper Corporate Author:

ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA Personal Author(s):

Cahani, Nazmi Report Date:

2009-03-03 Pagination or Media Count:

31.0 Abstract:

The Albanian Armed Forces AAF are currently undergoing an extensive defense reform process that consists of transformation of its strategic concept, doctrine, organizational structure, personnel management system, military infrastructure, training and education, and systems and equipment. The transformation process, which started with regime change in 1990 and continues today, is not easy. The collapse of the communist regime left Albania with decayed infrastructure, impassable roads, extremely poor communications networks, and a severely depressed economy. The Communist regime and its concept of the Peoples Armed Forces led to a bloated military and a mandate to build a fortified defense system throughout the country. As a result of this strategy more than 750,000 bunkers and tunnels were built in the 1980s, depleting an already weak economy. Since 1990, the AAF has undergone a long and difficult downsizing and transformation process. In 1990, Albania had around 620,000 personnel in its Armed Forces 120,000 active and 500,000 reserve and territorial forces, which were consuming more than 20 of its GDP. Today the AAF has around 14,000 active personnel and a budget that is 2 of GDP. In 1994, Albania became a part of NATOs Partnership for Peace PFP initiative, and since then it has embarked on extensive reforms involving not only the military but also its political and economic systems. The possibility of becoming a member of the NATO Alliance has served as a great incentive for Albania to transform its defense organization into one that is under civilian control, establish a democratic political system, create a market-based economy, and foster good relations with its neighbors. This paper examines the transformations that the AAF has undergone and reviews the reforms that are still needed for Albania to become a full NATO member. Descriptors:

• NATO

• MILITARY DOWNSIZING

• ALBANIA

• MILITARY FORCES(FOREIGN)

• TRANSFORMATIONS

• ORGANIZATIONAL REALIGNMENT

• INTEGRATION

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

DEMOCRACY

COOPERATION

COMMUNISM

MILITARY BUDGETS

MILITARY TRAINING

GEOPOLITICS

POLITICAL ALLIANCES

GOVERNMENT(FOREIGN) Subject Categories:

Economics and Cost Analysis

Government and Political Science

Military Forces and Organizations Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

Enver Hoxha's army was worth 130 billion dollars

The construction of the giant infrastructure of the defense system by the communist regime also had its extraordinary cost. The establishment of this military system with extremely large dimensions for a small country like Albania may have surprised many. But, much more than this, what is shocking is the value that the Albanian army had.

According to Colonel Pëllumb Zaimi, former scientific worker and former lecturer at the Military Academy, the Albanian army reached 130 billion dollars in assets, while the people suffered for their bread. But the paranoia of the external enemy caused the dictator Enver Hoxha to build such a military system even though his people were mired in poverty.

The Albanian army throughout the communist system until the 90s had an extraordinary arsenal of weapons, ammunition, fuel, food and clothing. If these were sold according to the rules, the state budget would be supplied annually with several hundred million dollars.

Only the ammunition of the Albanian army, imported and locally produced, organized in several hundreds of warehouses and tunnels, reached the figure of 65 billion dollars.

The Poliçani factory produced 48-58 tons of ammunition in 24 hours, rifle cartridges, automatic weapons, light and heavy machine guns.

Gramshi produced 400-500 submachine guns and automatic rifles per day or 120,000 per year at a cost of $6,000 per piece. The cost was high despite the fact that the ones on the black market in recent years had a sale value of $300. Medicine produced more than 6,000 tons of explosives per year.

Aviation

The Albanian army had 196 aircraft and helicopters, and if we add here 40 AN-2 aircraft, 3-government IL-14 aircraft go to 240. The air fleet counts 125 MIG aircraft of various types that ranged from 15-25 million dollars per specimen . The average is worth 4 (four) billion dollars.

Armored vehicles

There were 1,200 tanks and armored personnel carriers in the army. A tank fetched the figure of 600-800 thousand dollars according to the types. On average, it is worth 1 (one) billion dollars.

Anti-aircraft artillery

In the anti-aircraft artillery, there were at least 4,000 fire nozzles consisting of 60 mm mortars, 122 and 150 mm howitzers. Meanwhile, the ML-130, 12 and 19-bore cartridges were also included in this artillery. I take into account that the simplest howitzer balls, those 122 had a value of 70 thousand USD. SAM-2 surface-to-air missile groups are also included in the anti-aircraft artillery. The Albanian army had about 200 such.

Naval Forces

The Naval Forces counted at least 100 pieces of ships of various types, of which 4 submarines, 4 large guns, 6 small guns, 2 large minesweepers, 6 small minesweepers, about 60 torpedo boats, etc. But there was also an armament of 400-500 pieces of torpedoes worth about 1,500 dollars apiece, ($700,000) and over 2,000 naval mines worth over 1,000 dollars apiece ($2 million).

Military plants

Tanks and Artillery plant in Tirana, batteries in Berat, armaments in Gramsh, ammunition in Poliçan, explosives in Mjekës, (which was 100% with Swedish technology), were also the aircraft repair plant in Kučovo, the location plant, KRAF of Pasha Liman, for the repair of surface ships and submarines. Here I am not mentioning a series of mini-factories throughout the territory of the republic where partial overhaul of combat vehicles was carried out. These factories had modern technology, generally Chinese but also French and Swedish, which were the last word for the time. The monetary value is difficult to extract without the relevant documents.

Aid from the Soviet Union and China

"Obviously I can't talk about things I don't know, but I can only give a first digit in a secret document. In that document, there was talk of an aid of 17 billion dollars given by China in the years 1974-1976, all in military equipment", says Colonel Pëllumb Zaimi in an interview previously given to the Albanian media.

Construction of fortifications

Pëllumb Zaimi says that 175,000 fire stations were built in Albania, where each one of them had a value of 7,500 new lek, with the exception of the largest ones. "But they also built many kilometers of underground tunnels, the aircraft shelter bases and the two architectural masterpieces that were the Gjadri Air Base and the Porto-Palermo Naval Base. Commands of battalions, brigades and more have also been built. These objects were built with the work of officers and soldiers. I remember that when I was a young officer, the battalion commander Destan Shira built the battalion command and company buildings with a space of 800 square meters with the soldiers and officers, but being in charge of the work himself. All with the forces of the guild breaking rocks on the mountain. It should be understood that for the time fortification was necessary. We were not the only ones taking such measures. Because of the Cold War, Norway opened over 11 thousand/km of tunnels, Switzerland 16 thousand/km,France 8 thousand/km while only Moscow also 8 thousand/km of tunnels that served the Soviet General Command".

According to Colonel Pëllumb Zaimit, in 1997 at least 50 thousand tons of fuel were wasted, and at that time fuel had a value of 600 lek per liter. But in this case the documentation was also destroyed and thus no one was blamed for these gigantic thefts that were the property of the army and the Albanian people themselves.

Sources: According to the Colonel Pëllumb Zaimi, former scientific worker and former lecturer at the Military Academy.

The Albanian People's Army (Albanian: Ushtria Popullore Shqiptare, UPSh) was the national army of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1946 to 1990. Like the militaries of other Communist states, the UPSh was subjected to the nation's ruling party, in this case the Party of Labour of Albania. In fact, as in other Communist states, the Party considered the military to be a creation of the Party itself. The UPSh consisted of the Ground Forces, the Navy and the Air Force. The militia of the UPSh was the Voluntary Forces of Popular Self-Defense (FVVP), and affiliate military structures included the Armed School Youth (RSHA) and Civil Defense of the Republic (MCR). After the fall of communism in Albania, the UPSh was replaced by the Albanian Armed Forces.

History

Early years

After 1946, Albania became a part of the Eastern Bloc and under Soviet influence. In its early years, it consisted of ex-Partisans associated with the Albanian National Liberation Army (UNÇSH). Most communist party elites had high ranks in the UPSh. The ideology of Marxism–Leninism was enforced strictly by political commissars to increase government control over the UPSh.

Cultural Revolution

Beginning on 1 May 1966 (International Workers Day), the military ranks were changed to the ranks of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) during the Cultural and Ideological Revolution. One of the things that changed during the period was the role of the military commander was smaller due to the role of the political commissars.

Foreign military relations

Before 1948 the UPSh was heavily funded by Yugoslavia. After relations declined between the two countries Albania turned to the Soviet Union for military aid. In 1960, as the Sino-Soviet split and the Albanian–Soviet split was unfolding, the UPSh switched its military alliance from the Soviet Armed Forces to the PLA. Concerned that Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Chairman Leonid Brezhnev were liberalizing their foreign policy approach to Yugoslavia and after condemning the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia the UPSh withdrew entirely from the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact military alliance on behalf of the country.

Fall of communism

In February 1991, during a meeting of hardline communists at the local military academy, rumors of a possible coup d'état by the UPSh came up, which resulted in a pro-democracy crowd gathering outside the school, prompting soldiers to fire on civilians, killing four.

In 1991 the native rank system was reestablished under President Ramiz Alia.

Enver Hoxha (Albanian: [ɛnˈvɛɾ ˈhɔdʒa] ^ⓘ; 16 October 1908 – 11 April 1985) was an Albanian Communist politician who was the leader of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 until his death, a member of its Politburo, chairman of the Democratic Front of Albania, and commander-in-chief of the Albanian People's Army. He was the twenty-second prime minister of Albania from 1944 to 1954 and at various times was both foreign minister and defence minister of the country.

Hoxha was born in Gjirokastër in 1908 and became a grammar school teacher in 1936. Following the Italian invasion of Albania, he joined the Party of Labour of Albania at its creation in 1941 in the Soviet Union. He was elected First Secretary in March 1943 at the age of 34. Less than two years after the liberation of the country, the monarchy of King Zog I was formally abolished, and Hoxha became the country's de facto head of state.

Adopting Marxism-Leninism, Hoxha converted Albania into a one-party communist state. As a Marxist-Leninist, he implemented state atheism and ordered anti-religious persecution against Muslims and Christians. His government rebuilt the country, which was left in ruins after World War II, building Albania's first railway line, raising the adult literacy rate from 5–15% to more than 90%, wiping out epidemics, electrifying the country and leading Albania towards agricultural independence although the later years of his reign saw stagnation owing to his political breaks with the Soviet Union & China. His government outlawed traveling abroad and private proprietorship. His government imprisoned, executed, or exiled thousands of landowners, rural clan leaders, peasants who resisted collectivization, and alleged disloyal party officials. Hoxha was succeeded by Ramiz Alia, who oversaw the fall of communism in Albania.

Hoxha's government was characterised by his proclaimed firm adherence to anti-revisionist Marxism–Leninism from the mid/late-1960s onwards. After his break with Maoism in the 1976–1978 period, numerous Maoist parties around the world declared themselves Hoxhaist. The International Conference of Marxist–Leninist Parties and Organisations (Unity & Struggle) is the best-known association of these parties.

History

After 1946 Albania became a part of the Eastern Bloc and alliance with the Soviet Union. Like most other socialist states, the UPS was subjected to their communist party, the Party of Labour of Albania. Most communist party elites had high ranks in the UPS.The Ideology of Marxism–Leninism was enforced strictly by Political commissars to increase government control over the UPS. On May 1, 1966 the military ranks were changed to the ranks of the Chinese Army during the Sino-Soviet split.One of the things that changed during the period was the role of the military commander was smaller due to the role of the political commissars. Before 1948 the UPS was heavily funded by Yugoslavia after however, after relations declined between the two countries Albania turned to the Soviet Union of military aid. In 1960, as the Sino-Soviet split was starting the UPS switched its military alliance from the Soviet Armed Forces to the PLA.

Leadership

Ministers of Defence :

• Enver Hoxha (22 October 1944 – 1 August 1953)
• Beqir Balluku (1 August 1953 – 29 October 1974)
• Mehmet Shehu (29 October 1974 – 26 April 1980)
• Kadri Hazbiu (26 April 1980 – 14 October 1982)
• Prokop Murra (14 October 1982 – 9 July 1990)
• Kiço Mustaqi (9 July 1990 – 12 May 1991)
• Ndriçim Karakaçi (12 May 1991 – 11 June 1991)
• Ndriçim Karakaçi (11 June 1991 – 18 December 1991)

Chief of the General Staff:

• Spiro Moisiu (24 May 1944-August 1946)
• Mehmet Shehu (August 1946 - January 28, 1948)
• Beqir Balluku (January 28, 1948 - 1952)
• Petrit Dume (1952 - 1954)
• Arif Mema Hasko (1954 - 1956)
• Petrit Dume (1956 - July 1974)
• Sami Meçollari (July 1974 - December 1974)
• Veli Llakaj (1974 - October 13, 1982)
• Kiço Mustaqi (October 13, 1982- February 1991)

Commander-in-chief:

• Enver Hoxha (8 November 1941 – 11 April 1985)
• Ramiz Alia (13 April 1985 – 4 May 1991)

Components

The combined strength of the UPS by 1990 was 480,000 troops, half of which were conscripts, with over 1,375,000 suited for service. The largest branch was the ground forces, which took up three-quarters of the UPS. Most of its equipment were old Italian, Soviet, and Chinese weaponry. The infantry brigades lacked mechanization, operating only about 13000 armored vehicles. army units would be vulnerable to attack by modern fighter-bombers. The UPS Navy was the second branch and exclusively was the coastal defense forces of the country.The Naval forces numbered about 200,000 men, with almost one-half being conscripts.Patrol craft included 6 Chinese-made Shanghai-II fast inshore gunboats and two older Soviet Kronshtadt-class patrol boats. The air force of the UPS was founded in April 1952 and consist of 110,000

0 personn el.The missions of the air force were to repel the enemy at the country's borders and to defend the national airspace.In 1970 the UPS switched from Soviet to Chinese made planes. Helicopters consisted of one squadron of C-5 transports, a Chinese-manufactured Soviet An-2; one squadron of Chinese Li-2 transports; and two squadrons of Chinese Z-5 helicopters.Attack aircraft included 2 squadrons of J-4's and 1 squadron of J-2 bombers, the most advanced plane in the UPS. And other aircraft.

Ranks

After the World War II when the socialist government took power, military ranks were radically changed in looks and in naming. The original design for ranks for the UPS came from the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. In May 1966 military ranks were abolished following the Sino-Soviet Split switching over to the Chinese example.

Equipment

The equipment of the UPS had lacked in modernization.These types included Soviet BTR-40, BTR50, BTR-152, BRDM-1 vehicles and Chinese Type-531 armored vehicles. Armored forces were equipped with 1100 T-34, t-54/55 and type 59 tanks made in the Soviet Union and China. Soviet and Chinese artillery in the ground forces inventory was towed rather than self-propelled. It included Soviet M-1937 and D-1 howitzers and 150 Chinese Type-66 152mm guns, Chinese Type-59 130mm guns, Soviet M-1931/37 and M-1938 guns of 122mm, and Chinese Type-60 guns of 122mm. Its naval fleet also included 10whiskey class submarines, mine swepers, torpedo boats, ships etc.