The capital of Albania was freed from the Nazi fascist invaders. On October 29, 1944, by order of the General Staff, the 1st Assault Division commanded by Mehmet Shehu, launched the attack to liberate Tirana. The battles for the liberation of Tirana would mark the peak of the war in its final phase. Within the first night, almost half of the city fell into the hands of the Partisan forces. On October 30, 1944, it was fought in the center of the capital. That day, Division I Headquarters set up its headquarters inside the city. The calls for the liberation of Tirana continued street by street, barricade by barricade and often house by house. On November 17, 1944, in the morning, the enemy’s resistance ended and Tirana, the capital of Albania, was liberated. During the 19 days that the fighting continued, the German forces left more than 2,000 dead, among them major officers identified, as well as many wounded. More than 300 prisoners and a quantity of war material were taken. From the partisan forces there were 417 killed and wounded, while from the civilian population hundreds were barbarically massacred by the Germans. (Pictured: Barricade War)
Text: The history of the Albanian people – Vol. IV , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Toena”, Tirana, 2009, page 101-102.
Photo: © Central State Archives
Graphic processing: AHCF
