Albanian–Soviet split
The Albanian–Soviet split was the gradual deterioration of relations between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the People's Republic of Albania, which occurred in the 1956–1961 period as a result of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's rapprochement with Yugoslavia along with his "Secret Speech" and subsequent de-Stalinization, including efforts to extend these policies into Albania as was occurring in other Eastern Bloc states at the time.
| Albanian-Soviet split | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Cold War and Sino-Soviet split | |||
| Date | 1956–1961 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | De-Stalinization of the Soviet Union, revisionism, and Hoxhaism | ||
| Methods | Propaganda, arrest of Soviets in Albania, and attack on the Soviet naval presence | ||
| Resulted in | Expulsion of Soviets from Albania | ||
| Parties | |||
| Lead figures | |||
However, the Albanian-Soviet split did not become public until 1960, when, during the Bucharest Conference of Representatives of Communist and Workers Parties, the Albanian delegation, led by Hysni Kapo, did not support Khrushchev's ideological views on the Sino-Soviet split.
The Albanian leadership under Enver Hoxha perceived Khrushchev's policies as contrary to Marxist–Leninist doctrine and his denunciation of Joseph Stalin as an opportunistic act meant to legitimize revisionism within the international communist movement. Occurring within the context of the larger split between China and the USSR, the Soviet–Albanian split culminated in the termination of relations in 1961, however Albania did not withdraw from the Warsaw Pact until 1968, mainly as a reaction to the Invasion of Czechoslovakia.