At the height of the Cold War in the 20th century, the world was divided between two blocs dominated by two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. In the midst of this ideological confrontation on a global scale, Albania, a small country, under the command of its leader, Enver Hoxha, has embarked on a unique historical journey. Albania was originally closely dependent on the Soviet Union, but after Stalin's death, with the change of Soviet policy, Hoxha began to express dissatisfaction with the new Soviet leader Khrushchev's policy of "de-Stalinization", which eventually led to Albania's break with the Soviet Union. Subsequently, Albania turned to China for support, and this period is also known as the "honeymoon period" of Sino-Arab relations.
At an party meeting in 1960, Hoxha confronted his cronies and spoke in a deep voice about his dissatisfaction with Khrushchev's policy: "We cannot accept that the leadership of the Soviet Union has deviated from Stalin's revolutionary path. Stalin's policy is our beacon, true socialism. "This meeting made waves in Albanian political life and marked an irreversible rift in Albania's relations with the Soviet Union.
With the rupture of relations with the USSR, Albania's economy and international position suffered a serious blow. That's when China came to the rescue. In 1971, Hoxha was invited to visit Beijing, and Mao Zedong personally greeted him. During a long conversation in the Forbidden City, Mao Zedong told Hoxha: "Albania is the bastion of socialism, and the People's Republic of China will firmly support you." "This meeting deepened relations between the two countries, and China then provided Albania with a large amount of economic aid and military supplies.
With the support of China, Albania began large-scale military and industrial projects. Throughout the country, from valleys to plains, densely built concrete bunkers became a symbol of this period. These bunkers both demonstrated the nation's will to defend and reflected Hoxha's extreme fear of an outside threat. At a defense meeting, Hoxha pointed to the blueprints of the bunkers and said to his generals: "These bunkers will be a strong barrier against any invaders." ”
As time went on, cracks began to appear in Sino-Arab relations. At the end of the 1970s, China adjusted its foreign policy in the tide of reform and opening up. In a closed-door meeting, China's leader told the Albanian envoy: "We need to adjust our foreign aid strategy to the new situation at home and abroad." "This decision has made Albania feel the pressure of international isolation again.
Economic hardship and reduced aid have plunged Albania into a deep socio-economic crisis. Industrial production has fallen and the standard of living of the population has deteriorated sharply. On a winter night in 1985, as several farmers sat around a dilapidated farmhouse and talked about the current state of the country, an old farmer sighed: "Our children only know the bunker, but not the future." "This sentiment is gradually spreading across the country.
In the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War and the restructuring of the global political landscape, Albania's isolation was finally eased. Domestic and foreign pressures have forced Albania to begin reforming its political and economic system. A wave of democratization, led by students and intellectuals, swept the country, signaling the dawn of a new era.
Hoxha's death in 1985 failed to witness his country's reform and opening up. But the tens of thousands of bunkers he left behind are still scattered among the valleys and plains of Albania, a historical witness to the complex relationship between Albania and the world during the Cold War. These bunkers no longer had a practical military purpose and instead became a tourist attraction, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Albania's bunkers, once the embodiment of Enver Hoxha's concept of defense, are now a vestige of history, telling the story of a small country struggling to survive in a global grand strategy. These bunkers are silent poems of history, reminding future generations that neither relying on the powerful in the great waves of international politics nor seeking strategies of self-preservation in isolation are enough to bring lasting security and prosperity to the country. True strength stems from domestic social and economic development, as well as openness and cooperation with the world. Albania's history has taught every corner of the world valuable lessons and lessons: in the ever-changing international arena, its own strength and wisdom are the most solid line of defense.