nPostednon November 29, 2015
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TodaynAlbania celebrates its 1944 liberation from the Nazis.
TodaynAlbania celebrates its 1944 liberation from the Nazis.n
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nDuringnthe beginnings of World War II, Italy under Mussolini and Germanynunder Hitler were partners in what was called the Axis powers. Hitlernand his Nazi forces took over Austria and then invaded Czechoslovakianwithout alerting Mussolini; angry at being left out and feeling likena second-rate member of the Axis, Mussolini invaded Albania,nattacking all of its ports at the same time.
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nThenAlbanians were only able to resist Italy’s greater forces for a shortntime – less than one day. The Albanian king, Zog, escaped with hisnfamily to Greece and later England, but the Albanian parliament votednto unite with Italy.
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nInnother words, Albania fell to Italy. n
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nButnsome Albanians fought back, creating a resistance movement (made upnmostly of communists) that fought the Italians and, later, thenGermans. And eventually the resistance was able to defeat thenoccupying forces and liberate Albania!
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nDid you know…?
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Apparently,n before 1991, there were only about 600 cars in Albania; onlyn Communist Party officials were allowed to drive them. Because ofn that, I read, roads are not so great, and drivers are not son skilled.n
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nButn trains and buses are not so good, either! I read that routes aren often suspended during the off-season, stations are sketchy, andn schedules are hard to find and not adhered to very well.
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nAn painter was the mayor of capital city Tirana from 2000 to 2011, andn partly because of him, the city is pretty colorful! Check out thesen photos:
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nOne of Albania’s more paranoid Communist leaders, Enver Hoxha, had 700,000 bunkers built throughout the nation to help turn away invaders who didn’t even exist!
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nThat’s one bunker for every four Albanians!
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nAfter the collapse of communism, the concrete bunkers were abandoned. Apparently they are difficult and expensive to remove, so they just sit around dotting farms, backyards, mountain passes, city streets, beaches… even graveyards!
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nI’m glad to report that some bunkers have been reused as living spaces, cafes, storehouses, shelters for animals or for the homeless.
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By the way, Hoxha himself had a huge bunker for his own use – a 106-room, 5-story secret bunker! It is now open to the public.
By the way, Hoxha himself had a huge bunker for his own use – a 106-room, 5-story secret bunker! It is now open to the public.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversarynof the launch of the first U.S. satellite with an animal
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nPhysicistnChristian Doppler’s birthday
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nClassifiednDay
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nAuthornLouisa May Alcott’s birthday
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nNovembern holidays
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nNovembern birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in November
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nDecembern birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in December
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