ABSTRACT
Traditionally one of the most economically backward nations in Eastern Europe, Albania has undergone a rapid transition from state control of the entire economy to the beginnings of a market economy. The nation remains primarily agrarian and still has one of the lowest standards of living of the former Eastern bloc nations. Part of the reason lies in its long-standing adherence to Stalinist orthodoxy. While other East European states ex perimented with economic reforms in the post-Stalin period, Albania remained wedded to the Stalinist model until the 1960s, when, under the influence of the Chinese, it attempted to introduce a few mini-reforms. But these minor reforms not only did not change the nature of the system, they simply imposed a new (Maoist) orthodoxy on the nation, as ideological conformity and political obedience were emphasized. Contemporary economic and political reforms, therefore, constitute the nation's first serious attempt to de-Stalinize society.
