,
consequently, talented students had to go abroad. Vangjush Mijo and
Androniqi Zengo were the first to introduce modern art to Albania in the
form of impressionism. Mijo had studied in Italy and Zengo in Greece.
Odhise Paskal was the only notable sculptor of prewar Albania. He had
received his training in Florence. His creations include the Skanderbeg
monument in Tirana and the National Warrior monument in Korce. Paskal
and Zengo continued to work under the Communist regime.

Courses in the fine arts have increased since the end of World War II.
Artists and sculptors are supported by the state, and the main themes of
their creations are workers, peasants, partisan heroes, youth working on
agricultural and industrial projects, soldiers, and liberated women in
their various activities. Examples of artistic creations praised in the
Albanian press are: "High Revolutionary Spirit" by M. Dhrami, "The Adult
of the Republic" by K. Rama, and "The Partisans of the Revenge
Battalion" by S. Shijaku. Besides Paskal, J. Paco and A. Mana have been
cited as distinguished sculptors.

CHAPTER 8

ECONOMIC SYSTEM

In mid-1970 the economy, which is wholly controlled by the Albanian
Workers' Party, approached the conclusion of the Fourth Five-Year Plan,
during which it made a further advance along the road of industrialization,
in line with the totalitarian leadership's goal of transforming the
economy from the stage referred to as agricultural-industrial to a more
advanced industrial-agricultural level. The Fourth Five-Year Plan
(1966-70) actually called for a more rapid growth of agriculture than
that of industry and for an increase in the share of agriculture in the
national product by 1970. This departure from proclaimed policy was
dictated by the failure of agriculture to meet the goals of the Third
Five-Year Plan (1961-65) and by an overriding need to increase farm
production in order to reduce to the maximum extent possible the
perennial food deficit.

Despite government efforts, the five-year plan goals for agriculture are
not being achieved, even though substantial advances in production have
been made. The agricultural output target set by the annual plan for
1970 is significantly below the five-year plan figure for that year. By
contrast, the five-year plan goal for industrial output was reported to
have been surpassed in 1969 and to have been raised in the annual plan
for 1970 substantially above the original level