Albania During the Second World War: The Agreement of Mukja Between the Communists and the Nationalists

The meeting of representatives of “Fronti Nacionalçlirimtar” (National Liberation Front) and “Balli Kombëtar” (National Front) in Mukja on 1-2 August 1943 was one of the most significant political events in Albania during the Second World War. The effort to form a united front in the war against Nazi-fascism did not succeed, as the Communist Party rejected the agreement. As a result of extreme politicization and the historical revision of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War in its entirety, the causes of failure continue to divide both public and scientific opinion. The only way to evaluate the Agreement of Mukja without bias is to conduct a critical historical analysis of both the political and military positions of the Balli Kombëtar organization, as well as those of the Fronti Nacionalçlirimtar (Albanian Communist Party). The influence of the Yugoslav emissaries on the Central Committee of the Albanian Communist Party alone does not sufficiently explain the ending of this agreement. This article will provide a comprehensive account of this significant event for Albanians during the Second World War. Its significance stems from the fact that Mukja exemplifies Albanians’ inability to unite in a single front in the war against the Nazi-fascist invaders, and even pitted them against each other.