The Vlora incident was a military confrontation between Albania and the Soviet Union in 1961. The Albanian People's Army blockaded the Vlora naval base, leading to the seizure of Soviet ships and equipment. The incident underscored the escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations, ultimately resulting in the expulsion of Soviet forces from Albania.[1][2]
| Vlora incident | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Cold War and Albanian–Soviet split | |||||||||
 Withdrawal of the Soviet Navy from Pasha Liman Base, Vlora (1961) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Albania |
 Soviet UnionSupported by:  North Korea[4] Warsaw Pact:[5][6] | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Enver Hoxha Mehmet Shehu Beqir Balluku |
Nikita Khrushchev Aleksei Antonov[7] Andrei Grechko[8] | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
 Albanian Armed Forces Albanian Naval Force |
Soviet Armed Forces 40th Naval Infantry Brigade KGB | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
6,000 soldiers[9] and dozens of artillery[10] |
4,000 soldiers and technicians[11] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| none |
Material losses seized by the Albanian Army 4 submarines 5 Komsomolets torpedo boats[12] 4 defence ships 8 minesweepers 1 degaussing ship 2 tanks 1 Torpedo (Project 368T) 1 dive boat[13] Military casualties: Soviet transport ship was shot by cannon and destroyed Soviet group was killed[7] several Soviet sailors were killed by Albanian soldiers[14] | ||||||||
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Background and prelude (1945–1961)
After World War II, Albania came under communist leadership, and under Enver Hoxha's direction, the country grew to be one of the Soviet Union's closest allies in Europe. The Albanian government received financial and military assistance from the Soviet Union, which also helped to industrialize the nation.[citation needed]
However, in the 1960s, a rift developed between Albania and the Soviet Union as a result of divergent views on how to interpret Marxism-Leninism and the best method for implementing communism on a global scale. Albania criticised the USSR for being too accommodating towards the United States and its allies, and rejected the détente approach that the Soviet Union was pursuing with the West.[15][16][17]
In 1960, Enver Hoxha caused a rift with the Soviets after he aligned his military with China.[18] Nikita Khrushchev hoped that Albania would serve as a military base on the Mediterranean Sea for "all the socialist countries" and provided equipment and training to the Albanian army, which included a fleet of twelve submarines. As a result of the rift the Soviet Union imposed economic sanctions on Albania, withdrew eight of the twelve submarines, broke up Soviet naval facilities at the Albanian port of Vlora, engaged in polemical exchanges with Albanian leadership and encouraged pro-Moscow leaders in Albania to stage a coup against Hoxha.[18] Among the conspiracy's ringleaders was Vice Admiral Teme Sejko, a senior Albanian military officer.[19][20] Although the submarines withdrawal came shortly after the announcement of a trial against Sejko, it should not be assumed that the Albanians had prompted the Soviets to withdraw.[21][22][failed verification]
The Soviet position in the Mediterranean
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union tried to increase its military presence and influence outside of its boundaries, notably in the Mediterranean area. The stance of the Soviet Union in the Mediterranean was mainly intended to counter the United States and NATO, who maintained a sizable naval presence in the area. The Soviet Union was successful in increasing its naval presence in the Mediterranean. Albania was one instance of this, giving the Soviet Union a portion of its coastline as part of the latter's swift push into the Mediterranean.[23] While comparatively insignificant politically and economically to the Soviet Union, Albania allowed the country to establish a strong military base that housed marines and larger units similar to destroyers.[24][25]
Vlora Base
Vlora Base, also known as Pasha Liman Base, was a major Soviet naval base on the Albanian coast. Established in 1957, it served as an important base for Soviet submarines and warships in the Mediterranean.[26]
The attack and withdrawal of the Soviet Navy
In 1961, the Albanian government decided to use military force to expel the Soviet forces from Albania and to take control of four of the twelve Soviet submarines. On April 7, 1961, Albanian troops began to position the Vlora base and encircle the Soviet soldiers. Soviet forces were ordered to evacuate the base and leave Albania. Soviet troops initially resisted, but after several days of siege and negotiations, an agreement was reached. Soviet forces left the Vlora base on April 12, 1961 and withdrew from Albania.[27] The Soviets withdrew, recalling eight submarines.[28]
After the Soviets tried to leave Albania, they were pursued by the Albanian Naval Force and threatened with gunships. During this crisis, a group of Soviets were killed and a Soviet ship was destroyed by the Albanian army.[12]
Following these events, Khrushchev sought revenge on Albania. In 1962 he engaged with Warsaw Pact members on how they could launch an invasion of Albania. However, this plan was curtailed by the advent of the Cuban Missile Crisis.[29]
Aftermath
It led to the expulsion of the Soviets from Albania. During the attack several Soviet sailors were killed by Albanian Armed forces. After the incident, diplomatic relations between Albania and the Soviet Union were cut off and the Soviet Union lost access to the Mediterranean on the Albanian coast.[30][31][32]
Despite the dramatic shift in relations with the Eastern Bloc for Albania, the Vlora incident did not result in any kind of improvement in relations between Albania and Western countries, either. Albania maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China, until those too were broken off in 1978.[33]
See also
- Face to Face (1979 film), Albanian film adaptation of the 1961 military conflict with the Soviets
References
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