– Qemal Cicollari, Chairman of the CPA –
Speech on the 81st anniversary of the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, delivered at the political action of the Communist Party of Albania and Albanian progressive youth in Labinot of Elbasan on July 10, 2024.
Dear comrades!
Honoured participants!
The Communist Party of Albania, today, on July 10, 2024, organizes this political activity in honour of the 81st anniversary of the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, here in Labinot of Elbasan, on July 10, 1943. Today, this commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army takes on special significance as it coincides with the historical and glorious jubilee of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of our sacred Homeland from the Italian and German fascist occupiers and the collaborators, the Ballist-Zogite traitors.
Dear comrades!
Honoured participants!
The history of the Albanian people has engraved with golden letters the great truth that the creation of the General Staff and the establishment of the People’s Army of Albania on July 10, 1943 is a glorious historical work of the Communist Party of Albania and Enver Hoxha. Today, on July 10, 2024, the Communist Party of Albania feels honoured and proud to organize this political activity in memory and honour of this historic date, as a worthy continuation of the glorious historical work of the Communist Party of Albania led by the great and immortal Enver.
Dear comrades!
Honoured participants!
At the time when the Communist Party of Albania and Enver Hoxha were fighting to destroy the anti-party faction of Sadik Premte, the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War of the Albanian people, led by the Communist Party of Albania and Enver Hoxha, was rapidly expanding and gradually transforming into a general uprising. The National Liberation Partisan Army and people’s volunteers were giving strong and consecutive blows to the fascist occupiers and traitors to the country. The partisan forces’ combat battles against the Italian fascist occupiers in Selenica (April 1943), Leskovik (May 1943), on the Struga-Dibra road (June 1943), in Përmet-Kuqar-Gryka, Mezhgoranit-Qafa and Kiçokut (July 1943), and the first partisan strike against the German nazi occupiers in Barmash, Erseka, on the Korça-Janina road (July 6, 1943), among others, are notable.
The National Liberation Partisan Army, along with the rural population, faced the military operations conducted by the Italian fascist occupiers in Kurvelesh and Mesaplik (April 1943), in Peza, Mallakastra, Tepelena and Shpirag (June 1943). In these punitive operations, the Italian fascists massacred thousands of women, men, elders and children, burning hundreds of villages, but they could not defeat the partisans and people. On the contrary, they ignited even more hatred and anger among the people.
In the extraordinary moment that had gripped the country, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Albania, led by Enver Hoxha, proposed to the General National Liberation Council to consider the issue of forming the General Staff and organizing the Albanian National Liberation Army, as well as addressing a series of other urgent issues. The General Council meeting was held on July 4, 1943, in Labinot, where the formation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, consisting of 12 members, was unanimously decided. On July 5, the first meeting of the General Staff was held, where Enver Hoxha, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Albania, was elected Commissar of the General Staff, while Spiro Moisiu was elected Commander of the General Staff. On July 10, 1943, the Council and General Staff issued a special proclamation informing the people of this important event. This day entered history as the day of the establishment of the People’s Army of Albania.
At the time of the General Staff’s formation, the Albanian National Liberation Army included around 10,000 fighters organized in permanent partisan units and about 20,000 fighters in territorial squads of liberated villages and guerrilla units in cities and regions occupied by the enemy. The General Staff organized the Albanian National Liberation Army, centralized strategic and operational leadership of the war against the fascist occupiers and the traitors to the country, and developed the tactics of this war. For the centralization and direction of partisan units, District Staffs and the First Operational Zone Staff were created. Another significant measure of the General Staff was the organization of the partisan military power of the rear. “District Commands” and “Local Commands” were created as organs of this power, performing the duties of the people’s police in the liberated zones, supporting and assisting the National Liberation Councils and partisan units.
With the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, the armed struggle entered a new, higher phase, the phase of the general people’s uprising. Throughout the country, the units of the Albanian National Liberation Army and the territorial squads, together with the people, engaged in clashes with the armed forces of the Italian and German fascist occupiers. The General Staff ordered, “Until the occupying armies of the Italians and Germans unconditionally capitulate, until there is even one fascist with a weapon on our beloved Homeland’s soil, our struggle must continue with the greatest severity.”
After the formation of the General Staff, the liberation struggle of the Albanian people against the Italian and German fascist occupiers and the traitors to the country gained greater momentum and severity throughout Albania. Fearing the uprising that broke out across the country, the fascist occupiers declared the entire Albanian land a zone of operations in July. The Italian fascist army’s chief commander was compelled to acknowledge that “the Albanian people, in their majority and regardless of class, have risen against Italy and our troops’ presence in Albania.” He requested from his headquarters in Rome to increase the number of occupying forces to cope with the situation in the country.
The General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Albania and the revolutionary genius Enver Hoxha, fulfilled its historical mission with honour and glory.
Dear comrades!
Honoured participants!
During the time of socialism and Enver Hoxha, this significant date in the glorious history of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War of the Albanian people was always commemorated and honoured at central and local levels by the people, the Party of Labour of Albania, the socialist state, the people’s state power, the Labour Youth Union of Albania, soldiers, students, pioneers and others. Here in Labinot, every July 10, this glorious event of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War was celebrated and honoured. The arrival of the great Enver, the leader of the Communist Party of Albania and the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War, the Commander and Commissar of the Albanian National Liberation Partisan Army, brought great and special joy to the people and youth. People, Party and Enver rejoiced together for the victories achieved during the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War and the magnificent era of socialism.
In a sign of great honour and gratitude, the people, the Party of Labour of Albania and the socialist state of the proletarian dictatorship erected a great monument in Labinot for Enver Hoxha, the great Marxist-Leninist leader of the Communist Party of Albania, who led the people’s struggle to victory against the Italian and German fascist occupiers and the traitors to the country, the Ballist-Zogite collaborators. They erected a monument for the great revolutionary strategist of the victorious Anti-Fascist National Liberation War, the Colonel-General of the Albanian National Liberation Partisan Army.
In honour of the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, the People’s Army of Albania during the era of socialism and Enver Hoxha, here in Labinot, established and functioned the High Political School of the People’s Army of Albania, which educated, prepared and graduated thousands of officers and cadres of the People’s Army of Albania, the people’s police, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other state structures of the proletarian dictatorship.
After the victory of the counter-revolution and the re-establishment of capitalist, bourgeois and revisionist rule in Albania, the counter-revolutionary governments and enemies of the people and the great Enver demolished this historical monument and destroyed the High Political School. The history and heroic deeds of the people and Enver can be trampled underfoot and demolished by the enemies, but they can never be erased or forgotten from the people’s consciousness. Therefore, today, the Communist Party of Albania organizes this political activity in memory and honour of the 81st anniversary of the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army, to convey to the people, youth and new generations the great truth about this historical date and the great values of the glorious Anti-Fascist National Liberation War of the Albanian people, led by the Communist Party of Albania and the great Enver.
Dear comrades!
Honoured participants!
The Communist Party of Albania has always and continues to consider the glorious historical work of the Communist Party of Albania, Enver Hoxha and the Albanian people during the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War as the greatest historical event of the 20th century for our Homeland and the Albanian people.
The Anti-Fascist National Liberation War of the Albanian people led by the Communist Party of Albania and the great Enver, like every people’s war in the conditions of the historical period of imperialism, for its development, strength and extension, is just and true for its content and aims. It fought and triumphed over internal and external enemies, securing freedom and independence for the country, destroying the ruling fascist dictatorship of capital and the old regime, establishing the people’s state power and preparing the country for the victory of the socialist revolution.
The Communist Party of Albania continues to appreciate highly and always uphold the revolutionary spirit and rich experience of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War and the Party of Labour of Albania for its organizational, political and military aspects. This spirit and experience were forged during the war of the people and the Communist Party of Albania and served as an excellent school of Marxism-Leninism.
Dear comrades!
Honoured participants!
The Communist Party of Albania considers the issues and problems of defending the country and our beloved Homeland vital. Therefore, the Communist Party of Albania strongly condemns the destruction of the People’s Army of Albania by the counter-revolutionary and bourgeois-revisionist governments that came to power after the triumph of the counter-revolution and the restoration of capitalism in Albania.
The Communist Party of Albania considers the current Albanian army as an anti-people army serving the country’s new bourgeoisie, American imperialism and international capitalism.
The Communist Party of Albania considers the issue of defending the country as highly important and aims to address this issue as an integral part of its strategy and program.
The Communist Party of Albania aims to continue the best traditions and the rich experience of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War and the People’s Army of Albania during the era of socialism and Enver Hoxha, to guarantee and secure the defence of the country against the occupiers and internal and external enemies.
Long live the 81st anniversary of the creation of the General Staff of the Albanian National Liberation Army!
Glory and eternal honour to the Communist Party of Albania and Enver Hoxha!
Glory and eternal honour to the glorious Anti-Fascist National Liberation War of the Albanian people!
Glory and eternal honour to the martyrs and fallen heroes of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War!
(Translated from the Albanian original)
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