military with Yugoslavia’s. Hoxha fought back with Soviet support and cancelled his agreements with Yugoslavia and expelled the country’s advisors. Xoxe attempted to save himself by declaring his support for the Soviet Union and arresting supporters of Tito in the government. The Central Committee, however, flipped on Xoxe, stripping him of his posts and expelling him from the party. In November 1948, he and many others were arrested. The Soviets wanted to paint Tito as the mastermind of anti-Marxist and anti-Albanian activities with the trials of Xoxe and the others. Xoxe was tortured in prison repeatedly until he confessed to conspiring with Tito against the Albanian government. In May 1949, he was placed on trial where he confessed to having been recruited by Ahmet Zogu, as well as British intelligence and that Tito was an agent of the west. Xoxe was sentenced to death and was hanged on June 11, 1949. References External links Miranda Vickers, James Pettifer, Albania: from anarchy to a Balkan identity, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1997. Owen Pearson, Albania in the twentieth century: a history, I. B. Tauris, 2004, volume 3. Karen Dawisha, Bruce Parrott, Politics, power, and the struggle for democracy in South-East Europe, Cambridge University Press, 1997. 1911 births 1949 deaths Albanian communists Executed politicians Albanian people executed by the communist regime People executed by Albania by hanging Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia Government ministers of Albania Deputy Prime Ministers of Albania Interior ministers of Albania Directors of the Sigurimi People from Manastir vilayet Albanian people of Bulgarian descent Albanian people of Macedonian descent Prosecutors general of Albania People from Perasma