Koçi Xoxe

(b. 1917; d. 11 June 1949) Albanian; Minister of the Interior 1945 – 8 Of working-class origin, Xoxe fought in the Albanian Communist resistance during the Second World War, when he became a protégé of Tito. He was Minister of the Interior in the post-war government with responsibility for the secret police, the Sigurimi. He presided over the trials of "war criminals" and the Albanian Labour Party's (ALP — the Communist party's) political opponents. He was the leader of the pro-Yugoslav faction of the ALP, which even considered union between Albania and Yugoslavia. He worked in close co-operation with the Yugoslav security service in conducting a purge of the Albanian party, in particular of all those who opposed Albania's close relationship with Yugoslavia. His position weakened after Yugoslavia was expelled from the Cominform in 1948. His rival, Enver Hoxha, used Soviet support to eliminate his rivals from the party. In September 1948 Xoxe was removed from office. He was accused of "Titoism" and, falsely, of having worked for British and US intelligence during the war. In May 1949 his supporters were put on the first Soviet-style show trial in Eastern Europe. On 11 June 1949 Xoxe was shot for treason.

Koçi Xoxe (pronounced [kɔtʃi dzɔdzɛ], 1917–June 11, 1949) was the Defence and Interior Minister of Albania for some time under Enver Hoxha until he was purged for "pro-Yugoslav activities" after Tito broke relations with Hoxha's ally, Stalin. After a secret trial in May 1949, Xoxe was executed. He was one of the first victims of the showtrials outside the Soviet Union where he had to admit that he was working for the British intelligence and that he was a conspirator with Tito. Xoxe was hanged in June 1949.^[1]

References

1. ^ Berend, Ivan T. Central and easter europe 1944-1993 U.K. page 65.66

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