[1][2] Albanian victory After World War II, Albania came under communist leadership, and under Enver Hoxha's direction, the country grew to be one of the Soviet Union's closest allies in Europe.

[citation needed] However, in the 1960s, a rift developed between Albania and the Soviet Union as a result of divergent views on how to interpret Marxism-Leninism and the best method for implementing communism on a global scale.

Albania criticised the USSR for being too accommodating towards the United States and its allies, and rejected the détente approach that the Soviet Union was pursuing with the West.

[18] Nikita Khrushchev hoped that Albania would serve as a military base on the Mediterranean Sea for "all the socialist countries" and provided equipment and training to the Albanian army, which included a fleet of twelve submarines.

[21][22][failed verification] During the Cold War, the Soviet Union tried to increase its military presence and influence outside of its boundaries, notably in the Mediterranean area.

The stance of the Soviet Union in the Mediterranean was mainly intended to counter the United States and NATO, who maintained a sizable naval presence in the area.

[23] While comparatively insignificant politically and economically to the Soviet Union, Albania allowed the country to establish a strong military base that housed marines and larger units similar to destroyers.