Nationalism in Albania?

[Kamil]

Whats all this about the Illyrian nationalist themes of the propaganda work of Hoxha and his party? It doesnt bother me , I'm just interested in what they thought about national origins and the role it played in ideology. Thanks foo

[Ismail]

The Albanian Government focused heavily on archaeology and other aspects of cultural revival designed to unite Albanians on national rather than tribal or regional lines. The Illyrians were the ancestors of the Albanians.

As for the relationship between cultural studies and ideology, there wasn't much intertwining. Hoxha denounced all "national variants" of socialism including Juche. Marxism-Leninism was stressed at all times.

At the 7th Congress of the Party of Labour of Albania in 1976 Hoxha noted that, "While working for the construction of socialism according to the principle of self-reliance, our party has never dreamed of creating an autarkic economy, isolated within itself. At this same time, while combating any feeling of inferiority and worshiping everything foreign, it has not negated the value of progressive world thinking, of the achievements of science and technology in other countries. It has always prized the revolutionary experience of all peoples, everything that serves the cause of the emancipation and progress of mankind.

Far from excluding reciprocal collaboration and aid among the revolutionary and socialist forces, self-reliance presupposes it. The aid which the victorious revolution gives the countries and people fighting for national and social liberation, the mutual aid among countries building socialism, is an internationalist duty. It is devoid of any sort of selfish interest and inspired by the lofty interests of Marxism-Leninism. This aid is to the advantage not only of the country which receives it but also of the country which gives it, because the triumph of socialism in any country serves the triumph of revolution in the other countries, too, its triumph over capitalism and revisionism." (Selected Works Vol. V, p. 42.)