Hoxha, << HAW jah, >> Enver (1908-1985), established a Communist government in Albania in 1944 and ruled the country until his death on April 11, 1985. He strongly supported the policies of Joseph Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union. Hoxha also kept Albania politically and socially isolated from nearly all other countries. These policies severely restricted individual freedom in Albania and helped keep it the poorest country in Europe.
In the late 1950’s, Hoxha began to criticize the Soviet Union for its policy of peaceful coexistence with non-Communist countries. Albania and the Soviet Union broke diplomatic relations in 1961, and Albania became an ally of China. In 1978, Hoxha split with China after China had begun to improve its relations with non-Communist countries. Hoxha was born on Oct. 16, 1908, in Gjirokaster, Albania.
