Albania under Nazi Germany
Encyclopedia
The Albanian Kingdom (Albanian
: Mbretnija Shqiptare, German
: Königreich Albanien) existed as a de jure independent country, between 1943 and 1944. The usual de facto name in most of the historic German literature and documents is Großalbanien, sometimes Gross-Albanien. Before the armistice between Italy and the Allied armed forces on 8 September 1943, Albania had been under control of the Kingdom of Italy
. After the armistice and the Italian exit from the Axis, the Germans took control.
The Germans favoured the Balli Kombëtar
over King Zog I's Legalists and therefore put Balli Kombëtar in charge of Albania under Nazi German rule. Albania under the Balli Kombëtar included Kosovo, Western Macedonia, Southern Montenegro and the Preshevo valley. It was the policy of the Balli Kombëtar to have all Albanian populated territories under one state.
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
: Mbretnija Shqiptare, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Königreich Albanien) existed as a de jure independent country, between 1943 and 1944. The usual de facto name in most of the historic German literature and documents is Großalbanien, sometimes Gross-Albanien. Before the armistice between Italy and the Allied armed forces on 8 September 1943, Albania had been under control of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. After the armistice and the Italian exit from the Axis, the Germans took control.
The Germans favoured the Balli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar
Balli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist, anti-communist and anti-monarchy organization established in October 1939. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and Mit’hat Frashëri...
over King Zog I's Legalists and therefore put Balli Kombëtar in charge of Albania under Nazi German rule. Albania under the Balli Kombëtar included Kosovo, Western Macedonia, Southern Montenegro and the Preshevo valley. It was the policy of the Balli Kombëtar to have all Albanian populated territories under one state.
See also
- 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian)21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian)The 21st Division of the SS Skanderbeg was a Mountain division of the SS set up by Heinrich Himmler in March 1944, officially under the title of the 21. Waffen-Gebirgs Division der SS Skanderbeg...
- Ibrahim Bej BiçakuIbrahim Bej BiçakuIbrahim Aqif Bej Biçakçiu was an Albanian landowner and Prime Minister of Albania during the Nazi occupation, from September 25 to October 24, 1943. His official title was "Chairman of the Provisional Executive Committee."...
- Mehdi Bej FrashëriMehdi Bej FrashëriMehdi Frashëri was an Albanian politician. He served as Prime Minister of Albania twice and was a supporter of Balli Kombëtar. Mehdi Frasheri helped writing the Albanian Civil code. At May 17, 1914, he was the Albanian representative that signed the Protocol of Corfu...
- Rexhep Bej Mitrovica
- Military history of Albania during World War IIMilitary history of Albania during World War IIThe Albanian Resistance of World War II was a movement of largely Communist persuasion directed against the occupying Italian and then German forces in Albania, which led to the successful liberation of the country in 1944....
- Albanian Kingdom (1939–1943)