Democratic_Government_of_Albania
Democratic Government of Albania
1944–1946 Albanian provisional government
The Democratic Government of Albania (Albanian: Qeveria Demokratike e Shqipërisë) also known as the Hoxha I Government was established on 20 October 1944 by the National Liberation Movement, as the Albanian partisan resistance of 1940–1944 came to a close. A provisional government took power after the liberation of the country from German forces on 28 November. Its interim Prime Minister was Secretary-General Enver Hoxha of the Communist Party of Albania. The interim government was to be in existence until the holding of elections and the convening of a Constituent Assembly.
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The government was led by the National Liberation Movement (LANÇ), which in turn was dominated by the Communist Party. From the outset, the Democratic Government was a Communist state. It sidelined the nationalist Balli Kombëtar, a task made somewhat easier by large amounts of British support. King Zog I was effectively dethroned; the Democratic Government barred him from ever returning to the country. The LANÇ quickly established fraternal relationships with other Communist countries.
Elections were held on 2 December 1945. By this time, the LANÇ had transformed itself into the Democratic Front of Albania, which was the only organization to contest the election. On 10 January 1946, the People's Republic of Albania was proclaimed.[1][2][3]