Communist Albania Wanted To Be Self-Reliant 

You got to love a country with a King named Zog. What I remember of Albania is listening to Radio Tirana in the 1980s on shortwave telling us how the people live in paradise while the capitalist world is in decline.

It was found later that Enver Hoxha's elaborate system of mini-bunkers were and ideal environment for growing mushrooms. Produce is grown in abundance with the surplus being shipped to the finest restaurants in Milan.

A friend of mine played youth-league soccer in West Germany in the 80s when he was a teen. He told me that they once played an exhibition match against a team from Albania, and one of the Albanians defected. He told my friend that before going to Germany, government agents told them that all the wealth and prosperity they were going to see in West Germany was an elaborate capitalist deception created just to fool them. Imagine, all of West Germany making such an effort to deceive an Albanian youth soccer team, lol.

Ironically, this comes as Albania is having a moment, with record tourism, the main airport reaching twice its pre pandemic levels and its economy so strong that currency appreciation is actually an issue. Only took 35 years after the iron curtain collapsed...

You forgot to mention that Albania was particulalry valuable to China because it was part of the UN. China used Albania to bring up the issue of Taiwan in the international scene and ended its recognision as the "True China"

I’m Albanian. This was very good.

A lot of fun stories come from the football teams that were the very frew who were allowed outside the country (because its big here). During the late 80 a team from Tirana went to spain for a match with Barcelona, as per usual they wernt allowed to do anything free, the funding was so little, that they brought food with them from Albania, bread and chees and some tomatoes, the only things they were allowed to eat. One day after practice they managed actually visit around the place, as per usual they were stunded. Just imagine a dozen of skinny tall elegante and fit dudes walking around in their uniforms(unchanged). When they pasted a restorant, the owner notticed that they where the team that would play against Barca. Fortunately for you, he said, i am a Real Madrid fan and as their rival i invite you to my restaurant. As one of the players said. I hadn't feasted in so much food and in so much diversity my entire life, it was devastating to see how my friend and I were brought to this level of hunger...

That's not Khrushchev in the picture with Stalin at 17:18. That is Soviet Marshall Georgy Zhukov.

Great summary here. As a sidenote, would have loved to see a mention of the stupendous amount of bunkers that were built during the Hoxa years, about 750,000 of them. Imagine what the money used to build them could have done to improve infrastructure.

I laughed out loud at "As you might expect, the Chinese love affair did not last for very long"

I met an Albanian once and asked him what it was like under Communism. He said 'we thought we were the most luckiest people on earth until it ended and we realised how duped we were by the propaganda". He was laughing as he said it.

As an Albanian myself im very surprised you touching upon this topic. Im curious how come you got into history of my country? I would suggest you to read the book called: Free, from Lea Yupi. Gives an interesting glimpse of what comes after as well. Great video. Very impartial datas are given. Much appreciated.

We lived in Albania for 1 year ....from Vlore to Schengjin . Our most favorite people of Europe are the Albania. Rakia & Peja camping at Plazh Dalan .................

Fun fact - one of the mountain ranges in Albania goes by the name "Accursed Mountains".

Albanian Alps is such a funny term, since both have the same Latin root word. It's like saying "mountains from the land of mountains"

Asianometry said forget the Asian theme I'm just going to talk and make a video about topics I find interesting 😂😂😂😂 I respect that

Self reliance was impossible for the third reich so it makes sense that a tiny country didn’t manage it. Even a huge country such as the USSR couldn’t truly achieve it. Yet I sometimes see individual people saying they are moving towards being self sufficient. It makes no sense to me. Trade and cooperation has always been essential. It makes everyone better off. It doesn’t matter if you are capitalist or socialist. You need trade and cooperation.

A country that tries to stand totaly alone falls totaly alone.

6:50 I would like to add that Yugoslavia too is often referred to as one of the countries who liberated itself Another note: Its Zukhov at 17:22 not Khrushchev. Sorry for being a nerd.

Asianometry going global baby

One of my favourite countries in Europe. We did a road trip around most of the country this summer and really enjoyed it. Lots of beautiful places to see and friendly people. We never experienced any trouble with crime etc (though your mileage may vary) and you seem to get left alone a decent amount. Even in the tourist areas they are more laid back than places like Turkey and even some parts of Montenegro (which are probably their biggest competitors for tourism). That did however lead to what I can only call 'abuse' to some of their natural beauty. Tourists were taking liberties around some areas (especially Italians for some reasons) acting like they owned the place and in a manner that will eventually make these places worthless. Little consideration is given to protection of those places for future generations and it's truly open season for capitalism in those areas atm. But there were still a lot of stunning places and we went about them respectfully in the hopes to preserve it for others to see and I loved the vibe in Tirana which seems to be a real up and coming city, new big buildings going up everywhere in the centre. I hope the Albanian people can benefit from all this extra tourism and trade and hope to see them make it into the EU, along with some of their neighbours we visited.

You are doing great work, sir. When I see one of your videos, I feel both smarter, and aware of new gaps in my knowledge. As far as I am concerned, you are one of the heroes of RU-vid. I don't use these videos as my only source in conversation, but to people who are like "How do you know so much about the semiconductor industry?" I say to start with Asianometry. The work you do is a positive force in my life. Thank you. I'll check out the mech store. I don't usually rock any recognizable brands--even as a kid I wanted a plain lunchbox. . . . but you have earned my respect. I think more people should watch this fine work. rb

Comic-Con is serious business

I thank God that despite all the coruption problems still, beloved Albania is now a free independent democracy.Shume faleminderit !

I visited the island of Corfu back in '86.I took a boat trip around the island and sailed past the Albanian cost.Through binoculars I observed a small town,complete with mid-rise apartment blocks,sports fields etc but not a soul to be seen. At night you could hear distant artillery being fired .Also,at that time Greek TV reception on Corfu was poor but Albanian TV reception was very good but in B+W.Albanian TV programming was limited to news,sports,folk music and political speeches.I became intrigued with the place from that time but there was very little in English to read on Albanian history,😮 especially the Communist regime under Hoxha.

I know it's a really complex and extremely touchy topic. But could you make a video about Taiwan & Mainland China relations, specially given the recent election? Two points I would find interesting to explore: 1) Independence vs Status Quo vs Unification sentiments within the Taiwanese population 2) Ignoring the politics, what are the realities of these relations on the ground in terms of trade (ex: many Taiwanese companies manufacture in China, how does it works?) and social exchanges (ex: do 'mixed' families exist?).

Your videos are so good. I relish watching them. Long may you continue. It's just such a good formula that you have developed. Very polished and unique.

These kind of videos are amazing. Thank you for making them.

From the "North Korea of Europe" to a properous country that has a bright future with young hard working people! Albanians are hospitable people that went thru hard times in history. I remember going there when it just opened up in the 90's it was like going back into the past century.

Very well-made and researched video. Extra points for going out of your way to get pronunciations of names as accurate as possible. Well done.

Stories of the communist era blow my mind every time. I can't believe such societies existed

Im an American of Albanian decent. This video seems really well done. It lines up with the family stories I've heard about hoxha and the complete ruin he brought.

I am amazed by your videos and breath of content and topics. I learn so much from your research. WOW!

Wow, this is the most well produced piece of media on Bunker Man that I’ve ever seen brilliant!🔥🔥🔥

Holy smokes, you researched into detail, all the way to Milovan Đilas (pronounced "Geelas")! Outstanding work. Well done! Well done! (Loading Star Control...)

In 1982 being a tourist in Europe i tried to visit Albania..ruled in those days by Enver Hoxha..found a consulate in Belgrad and applied for a tourist visa..they took my passport and make me wait almost 3 hours ..at last they flatly refused to issue a visit permit...without a reason...may be someday i will visit Albania..kind regards..👍👍🇸🇻

Dude, how could you not mention all the bunkers!

I worked night shift with about 20 young Albanian men at a rubbish recycling facility just outside of London in the U.K for six months. Yes it was a very glamorous job sorting other people's waste for 10 hours a night,13 nights per fortnight, we had every second Sunday night off. There were about 160 working each night out in the rain, cold and filth. Most were Polish, African or Asian. Only two were English and I was the lone Australian. I spent my nights operating in a lovely warm, clean relatively new excavator while most everyone else had to stand beside a conveyor belt and literally pick shit and stuff out of the rubbish. To help prevent getting infections we often had to get injections from the company nurse, hepatitis, septicaemia, and so many more. Two things really stood out about the young Albanian fellows, many or most had either gunshot or knife wounds, some got them when they were just kids. The other is they really hated me using the word ethic. I was proud to be an immigrant in the U.K., as were many of my friends from Poland, South Africa, India, Lithuania and other countries. We had a habit of greeting each other with the phrase " hello ethnic " especially if there was someone from the U.K within hearing. Good times

Great video for background sound. Very level and interesting. Great to listen to while tinkering.

That's Stalin and General Zhukov at 17:25. Khrushchev is the one in the car in the following picture (with Tito wearing glasses). The history of Albania is fascinating. It probably would have been better for the people of Albania to join Yugoslavia or at least to keep cooperating with their neighbours.

While America was making it possible for every citizen to own a house and a car, Albania made it possible for every family to have their own bunker.

Great video, very original and fascinating

5:29 and here I was thinking they were big fans of a certain Soviet submachine gun.

Very interesting video. Just a note: at 17:21, it is not Stalin and Khrushchev, it is Stalin and Zhukov.

Fun fact: there’s a mall in Tirana called the Taiwan Center. Not sure why.

I'm surprised Khrushchev, being a Communist and, therefore, atheist, used a Christian reference with the thirty pieces of silver remark.

Amazing documentary. Thank you for this

If theres one thing that i can learn from Supplyvand Demand is that No Country in the world is a self reliant.

Another amazing video.

Sure says a lot about your government and nation as a whole that a great achievement like self sufficiency in bread grain can actually “be believed” 😂😂😂

Excellent as always. Thank You. Incidentally, the photo about 17 minutes into the video was not Stalin & Khrushchev. It was Stalin & Zhukov. Small matter. Thanks again.

Thanks so much for your videos. I reallly appreciate all the work you put into them and I have learned so much from them. One tiny quibble on this video, the photo at 17:18 is of Stalin and Marshal Zhukov (not Khrushchev).

Another banger episode!

I'll never look at Comic-Con the same way again...

Very well done and informative

Thank you for this quality presentation. The absence of an AI voiceover and no annoying "background mood music" is awesome! 👍

"king Zog" sounds like a villam from a 60's sci fi movie

There was a story some years back that one of the staffers for the prime minister or president was driving an BMW X5 which had been stolen in Germany. It is a beautiful country, but it is also a scary country to drive in - I was shocked to see the number of memorials at the mountain roads.

"The liquidations will continue until morale improves." - Enver Hoxha probably

Excellent delivery. Very relaxing to listen to. Enjoyable channel. I'm all in.

Love your videos, including this one. However, I would like to correct something: Albania formally cancelled it's membership of the warshaw pact after the soviet union occupied czechoslovakia. Regarding the comecon, they paused their membership and cancelled it in the end of the 80s. Since you mentioned Sazan, the soviets hat 11 submarines there and after the breakup Albania kept 4 of them, considered them as albanian. Apart from threats, nothing happened and they kept them.

Thank you for your videos! Here are some ideas for content: the rise of linux under tovald, the rise of Python as a programming language, network (e.g. DAG) of regional east-asian relations (taiwan-s.korea, taiwan-japan, taiwan-philippines, s.korea-japan,philippines-japan, hongkong etc.)

I knew very little about Albania, now I know a lot more, this is an excellent post, very informative well worth watching, thank you for what must have been a long time researching, greetings from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

great video!

“Utopias Elsewhere” has a fascinating chapter on Albania.

Just to note King Zog I would be pronounced King Zog The First. Like King Charles III would be called King Charges the Third.

Thank you for this. Excellent.

The “self reliance” years are a perfect mirror of what happened in the West for Spain between 1939 and late fifties when the isolation stopped and American aid started to come in exchange of military bases. My father remembers having to hunt forest rats to complete the diet.

2:45 "Kneel before Zog!"

Interesting to learn from your video that the nationalist Albanians were allied with the Nazi; wasn’t aware of that before

Shoutout to my buddy Albanian Dan and his British wife. 👍😎🇦🇺

I occasionally heard Radio Tirana during my shortwave radio listening years. It was a nightly look into the mind of Enver Hoxha, which clearly failed to grasp reality. All other Eastern European shortwave stations seemed sensible in comparison to Radio Tirana. I loved Radio Moscow, Radio Sofia Bulgaria, and Radio Budapest. But, oh, Radio Tirana! My favorite memory was a show that started with military music and the powerful rhythm of boots during marching. Then finally the announcer would introduce the show: _"The Working Man -- the Grave Digger of Capitalism."_ This was circa 1980, so a "revolutionary" movement failing to catch wind of the fact that women work too let leftists such as myself know that Stalin-inspired systems were nothing progressive. The BBC reported about a listeners poll conducted by a magazine which ranked Radio Tirana Albania the worst shortwave station in the world. Sorry, Enver.

Hoxha: "Stalin was the greatest human being to ever live, I learned everything I know from him." Stalin: "Be lenient about religion, don't do anything drastic." Hoxha : *proceeds to ban all religions*

@17:20 Stalin with Kruschev is incorrect, it is Stalin and marshal Zhukov. For one thing, unlike Stalin Kruschev rarely appeared in military uniform.

When visiting Corfu in the early 80s, we were warned about Albania, not to enter it's territorial waters.

It was the hardest dictatorship in Europe. Our North Korea. Today the country is quite unrecognizable.

You didn't mention the bunkers the man had placed all over the country. I think most of them are still there. GREAT VIDEO!!!!!!!

As an Albanian and history enthusiast, i must say this is a very well made review for a much debated topic here. Bravo!

17:22 that isn't Krushchev. That's Zhukov next to Stalin.

Great video, any plans to make one on Turkey?

17:19 isn't that Gregory Zhukov and not Khruschev ?

Great content

17:23 That is Marshal Zhukhov , not Kruschev. You did not mention the machine gun bunkers that were installed all over Albania by Hoxha . Good video.

The Albanian case is a poster child of a common thread along the former communist block in Europe -- the pursuit of rapid industrialization and maximum economic independence, combined with different degrees of isolation from the global markets, all under the rule of centrally planned economic policies of state run enterprises. It all ended with huge debts, mass corruption along the entire social strata, under-served civil sectors and bloated state apparatus. The moral of the story is, no country can be 100% "self-sufficient" in our industrialized civilization. Commerce, trade and international relations have to flow in and out for prosperity to benefit all the people.

Babe, wake up! Albania joined Asia!

At 17:20 the picture shows Stalin and Zhukov, not Khruschchev

Great video, as always! I wonder if the photo of Khruschev and Titon is actually Khruschev and Jhivkov, the Bulgarian communist dictator?

17:23. It’s Stalin and Zhukov.

It's Stalin and Zhukov at 17:26, not Stalin and Khrushchev :)

This was an excellent summary. I have learned a lot about one of Europe's least known countries.

Thanks for this. Very informative. I've always heard of Albania but in name only. Feel like its history should be taught in schools. Then again, I suppose it's not surprising they don't generally teach kids about such a country, given it's quite the black eye for communism.

17:18 haha! double check the guy to the right before calling him Khruschiov

Both my parents were born and lived all their first 35 years into this hell. My dad always reminded me that all his life he never actually filled his stomach with enough food. for 35 years.

Very shortly after the end of the communist rule, the new capitalist Albania was hit with an economic crisis propelled by a large financial swindle. I don't recall details, but it prompted a mass exodus from Albania, with large number of people stowing away on ships crossing to Italy. It created immediate fond memories of Enver Hoxha's system. I read a National Geographic article on Albania circa 1979 which said Hoxha was popular among rural Albanians, citing the government's taking land from the absentee oligarchs, a move which improved the lives of small farmers, even with the privations of excess centralization. Stalin was actually popular with many Russians, then and in retrospect, we must admit.

Photo of ''Stalin and Khruschev'' on the right actually Georgy Zhukov :)

17:19 Not that big a deal. But I believe that the picture is Stalin and General Zhukov.. Not Kruschev. The Soviet equivalent to General but not President Eisenhower,, eh

Thats Stalin and Zhukov, not Jruschov in the pic at 17:20

30+ years is too much for anyone to remain in power. Mao, Stalin, Tito, Castro, Kim, and now Putin. Seems inevitable that food shortages follow dictatorships.

All hail King Zog!

What a crazy set of events. Everyone I've met from there is a little bit 'out there'. I now see why.