It's an image that defines so much that it is almost a shame to restrict a discussion to Ruritanian Gothic: black and white, grainy, right fist salute, could be the the 1940s, could be last week in south eastern Europe, the Ruritanian province of Albania.
Enver Hoxha was born in 1908, in Gjirokastër, a city in southern Albania then under the Ottoman Empire. At age 16, Hoxha helped found and became secretary of the Students Society of Gjirokastër, which protested against the monarchist government of Zog I. After the government closed the Society, he moved to Korçë, continuing his studies in a French secondary school. There he learned French history, literature and philosophy, and read the Communist Manifesto for the first time.[6]
He was chairman of the Democratic Front of Albania and commander-in-chief of the armed forces from 1944 until his death. He served as Prime Minister of Albania from 1944 to 1954 and at various times served as foreign minister and defence minister as well. The 40-year period of Hoxha's rule was characterized by the elimination of the opposition, prolific use of the death penalty[1][2] or long prison terms for his political opponents and evictions of their families from their homes to remote villages that were strictly controlled by police and the secret police (Sigurimi).
How does that not sound like a sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda? The Black Prince Michael could have been Hoxha's role model. A new biography has been translated into English and I for one, will be reading it!
No comments:
Post a Comment