That Wizard of Zog
April 1st, 2020 was the 81st anniversary
of the Italian invasion of Albania. Alberto Rosselli recalled the event with
this article, that I translated, which appeared on the Italian magazine StoriaVerità.
I hope you will find it interesting.
Your comments, as always, will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
L. Pavese
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| King Zog |
By Alberto Rosselli.
(Translated by L. Pavese).
(Translated by L. Pavese).
After a
long period spanning the late Middle Ages and the early Modern Era of the 20th
century, that was characterized by close ties between the Albanian people and
some Southern Italian potentates – which was mainly an anti-Ottoman alliance for
economic and geopolitical reasons – that fellowship changed, prompting the
Kingdom of Italy, that between 1915 and 1918 was engaged in the conflict with
the Central Powers, to make armed penetrations into Albanian land.
It is worth remembering the mission of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in
Albania (1914-1920), sent by Rome to oppose the Austro-Hungarian forces.[i]
On August 2, 1920, after the defeat of Austria, Italy stipulated
the “Protocol of Tirana” with the Albanian provisional government which,
in exchange for the cession of Sazan Island to Italy, recognized the total
autonomy of the Balkan country.
Just two
years later, however, with the accession to power of Benito Mussolini, the
Italian foreign policy focused again on Albania, thanks especially to the young
Fascist official Alessandro Lessona (1891-1991) an undoubtedly capable and far-sighted
man.
The 1925 election of Ahmet Lekë Bej Zog (1895-1961) as President
of the Albanian Republic – a man whose intellectual abilities were destined to
leave an indelible mark in the international historic and diplomatic circles –
laid the bases for the Italian penetration in the region to oppose Yugoslavia. During
the same year – although contrary to the opinion of the Secretary General of
the Italian Ministry of Foreign affairs Salvatore Contarini, who was in favor
of an alliance with Yugoslavia – several agreements were stipulated between
Italy and Albania, thanks to the sagacity of the aforementioned Lessona.
By the ratification of these suicidal treaties, President Zog met
all the Italian requests. One undisclosed clause recited: “Albania puts her
territory to the disposal of Italy, in the eventuality of a war with
Yugoslavia; … oil fields concessions … agricultural concessions to be
defined … and gives her authorization to the establishment of an Albanian
currency issuance bank with Italian capitals.”
Subsequently, on September
12, 1925, the Albanian government promulgated the “Monetary Reorganization of
Albania Act,” laying the foundations for the creation of the National Bank of
Albania (which had the exclusive task of issuing paper currency) and, soon
afterwards, created the S.V.E.A. (Society for the Economic Development of
Albania) which, with a 50 Million gold Francs investment, sanctioned the total
Italian control of the financial and economic sector of Albania. Moreover, on
June 26,1926, an agreement was signed with which A.I.P.A. Azienda Italiana
Petroli Albanesi (Albanian Oil Italian Company) acquired the exclusive concession
to manage the oil resources of the Devoll region.
In 1928, Ahmed Zog proclaimed himself monarch but, except for Italy,
the gesture was not recognized by the international community. All that inevitably
led to an intensification of the relations between Rome and Tirana, to the
point that the teaching of Italian became mandatory in Albania on August 30,
1933.
In March 1939, Mussolini proposed to King Zog a new treaty
articulated in eight points: military alliance between the two countries
(article 1); complete Albanian territorial integrity recognized by Italy
(article 2); Italian right of intervention, in case of internal disorders or
external aggression of the Albanian territory (article 3); plus a series of
agreements for the Italian use of Albanian resources and infrastructures
(articles 4-5-6-7); and lastly article 8, which, de facto, would allow Italian
demographic expansionism in Albania. Nevertheless, even King Zog – who was
always amenable to accept every request from Rome – refused to accept this last
provision, unleashing the ire of Benito Mussolini.
As a result, on April 1, 1939, Italy invaded Albania (for the
record, Albanian ambassador Zef Seregi who was travelling through Bari, Italy,
had noticed the concentration of soldiers ready to embark for the invasion).
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| 1939 Italian soldiers land in Albania. In the background, a Caproni Ca.111 gazetadita |
The preponderant Italian Expeditionary Corps (consisting of 22,000
officers and troops, led by General Guzzoni) had no difficulty landing in Durrës, Sarandë, Shëngjin and Vlorë. All those
places were scarcely defended by the weak Albanian army, led by General Mujo Ulqinaku, who had his headquarter in Durrës. The Italians occupied the entire
country in just one week with minimal casualties, twelve dead and fifty-three
wounded. It must be pointed out that, the anti-monarchic leaders of the fise
(the clans of the Mirdizia and of the Dukagjini) came
down from their mountains to welcome the red, white and green troops and help
them in the fight.
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| Italian S.81 bombers, employed as troop transports for the invasion of Albania, lined up and ready on an Apulia airfield |
It is safe to say that, during the Italian invasion, the Albanian
people everywhere – who were in large measure hostile towards King Zog –
maintained an overall welcoming attitude towards the Italians. With a few
exceptions, the population of the capital Tirana remained in their homes, happy
about the imminent fall of the despised regime of King Zog. Their only reproach
to Fascist Italy was that she had backed King Zog for too long.
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| Italian Granatieri boarding S.79's used as troop transports, on their way to take over Albania |
King Zog was not
afraid of the Italian but rather he feared the anger of the Albanians and, before escaping through Elbasan and Korçë to Greece with
a long convoy of cars and trucks loaded with goods, the King sent his Economic Minister
Brok Gera and Colonel Samih Koka, accompanied by Colonel Manlio
Gabrielli (the Italian military attaché in Tirana) to meet with General
Guzzoni. This move was ostensibly to negotiate a surrender, in reality it was
just a delaying tactic. Meanwhile, in Tirana the mob had sacked the Royal
Palace and the residence of the sisters of King Zog; and the Italian minister
Francesco Jacomoni di San Savino, the functionaries and a few Italians were
barricaded in the Italian embassy, ready to defend themselves. Their worries
were totally unjustified, because soon everything subsided. There was a meeting
between Jacomini and the Inspector General Xhafer Ypi, which brought about and
immediate pacification. Ypi was a prominent personality in Albania. He had been
the Regent of the Albanian state, after the proclamation of independence and
several times Prime Minister. With Italian approval, it was decided to
establish a Provisional Government presided over by Ypi, comprising the head of the Sunni
Muslim community (the Gran Muftì Shapati), the leader of the Bektashi’s Alevi community
(Baba Dedé ), and the representative of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church (Monsignor
Kissi).
At 9:30 of April 7, 1939, Jacomoni telegraphed
Rome: “Italian troops expected by the population enthusiastically. Great
assembly of the people in Skanderbeg Square will meet our troops at their
entrance in the city. However, Secretary General, this Ministry of Interior is
phoning soliciting strongly to accelerate the arrival of the first contingent
for fear that turbulent elements still circulating in the city may provoke new
disorders.”
On April 12, 1939, a new constitution was proclaimed in Tirana that de facto transformed the country in the Italian Protectorate of the Kingdom of Albania. Subsequently, on April 16, King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III took the former throne of King Zog.
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Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Albania, 1939-1943
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In order to govern Albania, there was instituted the figure of the Lieutenant General of Albania, formally appointed by the King of Italy, and placed directly under the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, through the Undersecretary of State for Albanian Affairs. And so there ended the independence of Albania, due to the ambiguous and rather demented politics of King Zog.
[i] In
September of 1914, the still neutral Italian government considered occupying the
port of Vlorë
with an infantry regiment, reinforced by mountain artillery, in order to
prevent Serbian or Greek infiltrations. But, on September 27th,
General Cadorna expressed his opposition because he was rightly convinced of
the futility of the operation, which probably masked the aim of easy
territorial gains on the part of the government. After two further refusals by
General Cadorna, the Honorable Sidney Sonnino (who had replaced the deceased
Marquis di San Giuliano as Foreign Minister) intervened in the matter on
October 14 and again on the 22nd, arguing the need for an immediate
occupation of the small Albanian port and of Sazan Island. And so, between October
30 and December 29, 1914, the Italian Royal Navy put ashore on the eastern
Adriatic coast the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment and the 18th
Artillery Battery (carried by pack animals).
On November 14, 1915, at the end of
long discussions [or negotiations} in Rome between Cadorna, the Government, and
the French military representative General Gourand (who had arrived in Italy to
request from the Italian ally the deployment of 100,000 troops to Thessaloniki) the Italian government consented to a sort of
compromise which, notwithstanding the Italian involvement in Albania, obliged
Italy to engage also in Macedonia although with a smaller contingent of troops
than requested by France. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, following the collapse
and withdrawal of the Serbian Army towards the Adriatic, Italy had to guarantee
the reinforcement of her expeditionary corps in Albania to protect the retreat
of the troops of Belgrade. A reluctant General Cadorna was forced the accept
the decision.
And so,
the Italian contingent based in Valona, led by General Bertotti and consisting
of the Savona Brigade and the 15th Infantry Regiment Command, the Verona Brigade and 85th and 86th
Infantry Regiment Command, three Artillery batteries on pack animals, two
Artillery batteries with Skoda howitzers, seven field artillery batteries, and
the 47th and 48th Territorial Militia regiments necessarily
had to be reinforced.
Contrary
to the opinion of General Cadorna, Sidney Sonnino had always wanted the
prestige of extending Italian control of Albania. But in the end, due to the uncertainty
of the Italian government and its errors in evaluating how to safeguard her
interests without displeasing her allies, Italy paid a double price. Even so, it
was the intervention of the Italian Army and especially the Navy in Valona, Durazzo and few
places in the inland of Albania that made possible the February 9, 1916 rescue
of most of the Serbian Army, which can be considered a logistic miracle.
Many thanks to Janice A. Jenkins for reviewing the English text.
Many thanks to Janice A. Jenkins for reviewing the English text.
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