Which Eastern bloc country withdrew from a direct alliance in 1961 despite being aligned with Moscow?

Which Eastern bloc country withdrew from a direct alliance in 1961 despite being aligned with Moscow?

• A. Poland
• B. Bulgaria
• C. Albania
• D. Romania

Answer: (C)

The idea here is that even within the Eastern bloc, countries could reassess and change their formal alliances with Moscow when ideological or strategic tensions arose. Albania fits this pattern. After World War II it was aligned with the Soviet Union and part of the Warsaw Pact, but in 1961 it decisively broke with Moscow’s leadership, expelled Soviet advisors, and moved its alignment toward China instead. That shift effectively ended its direct military alliance with the Soviet bloc, illustrating how a country could remain socialist and yet diverge from Moscow’s control. The other nations in the list stayed under Moscow’s direct influence for longer, making Albania the standout case for a withdrawal from a direct alliance in that period.

The idea here is that even within the Eastern bloc, countries could reassess and change their formal alliances with Moscow when ideological or strategic tensions arose. Albania fits this pattern. After World War II it was aligned with the Soviet Union and part of the Warsaw Pact, but in 1961 it decisively broke with Moscow’s leadership, expelled Soviet advisors, and moved its alignment toward China instead. That shift effectively ended its direct military alliance with the Soviet bloc, illustrating how a country could remain socialist and yet diverge from Moscow’s control. The other nations in the list stayed under Moscow’s direct influence for longer, making Albania the standout case for a withdrawal from a direct alliance in that period.