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| Military parade of the Albanian army in the 70s in Tirana, Boulevardi "Deshmorët e Kombit" |
Albania’s Hidden Military Strategy for Kosovo: A Story Albanians Were Never Told
For decades, a widespread belief persisted that Kosovo’s liberation was achieved solely through the armed struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). While the KLA played a historic and decisive role, the reality is far more complex. Long before the war of 1998–1999, Albania itself had prepared—quietly, carefully, and in absolute secrecy—for a possible military confrontation over Kosovo, even against former Yugoslavia.
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| Military parade of the Albanian army in the 70s |
This is not speculation. It is documented history.
Based on archival material and the testimony of Colonel Sulejman Abazi, one of the senior Albanian officers directly involved in border defense during the Kosovo War, this article sheds light on Albania’s long-term military planning, strategic readiness, and national commitment to Kosovo—facts often overlooked or deliberately ignored.
The “Shpërthimi” Plan: A Secret Albanian Military Doctrine
As early as the 1980s, Albania’s armed forces were working on a classified operational plan known as “Shpërthimi” (Explosion). This plan was designed by only four senior officers within the Ministry of Defense and stored under strict secrecy.
Its objective was bold:
to prepare a frontal military advance aimed at reclaiming Albanian territories lost after the London Conference of 1913, with Kosovo as the central focus.
By 1980, Albania’s General Staff Intelligence Directorate had already mapped Yugoslav military deployments in detail. A classified military map (Scale 1:200,000, dated December 29, 1980) identified 27 predefined infiltration and operational zones inside Kosovo. These zones were intended for sabotage, reconnaissance, and coordinated military actions behind enemy lines.
The plan was later reviewed by Enver Hoxha himself and approved as a “reserve strategic option”, to be kept locked away—ready to be activated if circumstances demanded.
Albania’s Military Readiness Along the Yugoslav Border
Between 1970 and 1983, Albania heavily fortified its northeastern border. The region covering Kukës, Tropojë, and Pukë became one of the most militarized areas in the country.
Key facts include:
- Three fully armed army corps deployed in the northeast
- Thousands of firing positions for machine guns and artillery
- Over 135 kilometers of trenches and defensive lines
- Heavy artillery, anti-tank units, and permanent combat readiness
Military exercises such as “Drini,” “Kështjella,” “Taraboshi,” and “A-81” were not symbolic drills. They were operational rehearsals designed to pressure Yugoslavia and test Albania’s ability to respond rapidly to a regional conflict involving Kosovo.
According to former Chief of General Staff Veli Llakaj, Albania’s military was prepared not only to protect its borders but also to launch offensive operations capable of correcting historical injustices.
Kosovo Crises of 1968 and 1981: Strategic Turning Points
The Albanian military strategy evolved directly in response to events in Kosovo—particularly the demonstrations of 1968 and the mass protests of 1981. These political uprisings revealed the depth of ethnic repression and confirmed that Kosovo would remain a permanent flashpoint.
In response, Albania increased fortifications along the border, dedicating 44% of its national defensive infrastructure to the northeastern frontier alone. Command-and-staff exercises involving up to 40,000 troops triggered reactions from Yugoslav authorities, who closely monitored every Albanian military movement.
By the early 1990s, even Yugoslav intelligence officers admitted that Albanian exercises forced Yugoslav units into heightened alert status.
The Rise of the KLA and Albania’s Direct Role
The Kosovo Liberation Army did not emerge in isolation. Its roots were deeply connected to earlier political movements, particularly the Popular Movement of Kosovo (LPK). Internal divisions, Yugoslav intelligence infiltration, and harsh repression eventually led to the formation of armed resistance groups.
With approval from Albanian leadership in the early 1990s, the first armed groups of Kosovo fighters were trained inside Albania. Among them was Adem Jashari, whose later sacrifice would ignite the full-scale war.
The massacre of the Jashari family in Drenica and the Reçak massacre in January 1999 marked the irreversible point. From that moment on, war was inevitable.
1997–1999: Albania on the Brink of War
After the internal collapse of 1997, Albania’s military faced severe challenges. Yet by 1998, emergency measures were taken to restore operational capacity.
Divisions from Tirana and Kukës were redeployed to the northern border. Heavy artillery, tanks, rocket launchers, and mechanized units were positioned near Morina and other strategic corridors. At the same time, KLA training camps operated openly within Albanian territory, often indistinguishable from regular army units.
Despite Serbian artillery strikes, sniper fire, and cross-border incursions, Albanian forces held their ground. Serbian attempts to sever the connection between Albania and the KLA failed completely.
A Forgotten Truth for Albanians
One of the most damaging myths repeated for decades is the claim that Albania “sold Kosovo” to Tito. Archival documents and firsthand accounts categorically disprove this narrative.
In reality, Albania invested decades of intelligence work, military planning, and strategic patience—often under extreme international pressure. While open war was avoided until the late 1990s, preparation never stopped.
As Colonel Abazi emphasizes, much of Albania’s contribution remained invisible, deliberately hidden behind intelligence operations and defensive postures that ultimately allowed Kosovo’s armed resistance to survive and succeed.
Conclusion: History Demands Accuracy
Kosovo’s liberation was not an accident, nor was it a sudden event. It was the outcome of decades of resistance, sacrifice, and preparation—on both sides of the border.
For Albanians everywhere, understanding this history is not about glorifying war. It is about restoring truth, dignity, and respect for those who worked in silence so that others could fight openly when the moment arrived.