Introduction to History of Albania
The Illyrians, an Indo-European people, settled the Adriatic shore (the Dalmatian coast) about the 12th century B.C. One of the Illyrian tribes was the Albani, from whom Albania takes its name. There were Greek colonies in the southern part of the country. In the fourth century B.C. the region was conquered by the Macedonians, and during the second and first centuries it was annexed by Rome. When in 395 A.D. the Roman Empire was divided, the new boundary placed some of the Illyrians in the western (Roman) division and the rest in the eastern (Byzantine) division.
The Byzantine Era
Albania suffered repeated invasion during the centuries of barbarian migration. In 395 the Visigoths passed through. The sixth century brought destructive attacks by Huns, Avars, and Slavs. Many Illyrians of the Dalmatian coast were forced southward into the Albanian Alps. There, with the southern Illyrian tribes, they were able to repulse the invaders and preserve their own identity. Some of the people of Thrace, to the east, also found refuge in the mountains of Albania.
In the late ninth century Bulgaria annexed most of Albania. It was restored to the Byzantine Empire in 1018 by Emperor Basil II. The Venetians, however, seized several port cities, but lost them to a Byzantine prince in the early 13th century. In the 14th century Serbia conquered Albania, and Venice regained its ports.
Turkish Conquest
The Ottoman Turks entered the Balkans in 1354, reduced the Serbs to vassalage in the 1380's, and in 1403 moved against Albania. George Castriota, an Albanian chieftain's son, served the Turks as a soldier and a military governor. In 1443 Castriota by then called Scander-beg (a corruption of Iskander Bey, his Turkish name) turned against the Turks and became a leader of Albanian resistance. For 24 years Scanderbeg outfought the Turks, but after his death in 1468 the country was brought under Ottoman rule. The last Venetian ports fell to the Turks in 1479.
Turkish rule was not harsh, and Albanian nobles retained their lands and feudal powers. However, the Albanians were not permitted to have schools.
Nationalist Movement
Settlement of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 awarded Albanian territory to Serbia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria. The League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation was formed to protest the territorial losses and to gain autonomy for Albania. After a futile revolt against Turkey the league collapsed, but the Turks permitted Albania to open schools and to issue publications in the Albanian language. The resulting surge of nationalist feeling alarmed Turkey, which restored the ban against schools and publications in 1886.
Independence
During the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12 Albania won autonomy. In 1912, when the First Balkan War ended Turkish rule in the Balkans, independence was declared. The Conference of Ambassadors of the Great Powers made Albania a principality and established its boundaries, giving it territory in the south claimed by Greece and territory in the north claimed by Serbia and Montenegro. William of Wied, a German army officer, was chosen ruler. He took the throne in March, 1914. The monarchy fell six months later, at the beginning of World War I. Albania declared itself neutral, but throughout most of the conflict was occupied by Allied armies. After the war the Albanians formed a new government and Tiranà became the capital.
Ahmed Zog, a government official, became premier in 1922 and put down all opposition by military force. In January, 1925, he had the nation declared a republic and became president. The Italians gave him financial aid and gradually assumed control over his country. Zog was permitted to make himself king in 1928, but in 1939 Italy annexed Albania.
After World War II
During World War II Albanian partisans opposing Italian and German occupation came under control of the Communists. When the country was liberated in 1944, the Communists seized power, and in 1946 Albania declared itself a people's republic. Enver Hoxha, first secretary of the Communist party politburo, became the first premier and soon assumed dictatorial powers. Albanian Communists grew displeased with the Soviet Union, and in the 1960's the country became aligned with China. In 1968 Albania withdrew from the Warsaw Pact and isolated itself from all Western nations. In the 1970's, because of political differences, Albania's alliance with China was ended.
In the early 1980's, Albania began to trade with several countries of Western Europe. Hoxha died in 1985 and was replaced by Ramiz Alia, who in 1990 instituted a domestic reform program that established basic human rights. During 1990–91, Albania began to restore diplomatic relations with the West. In 1991 the Communists won the country's first multiparty elections in more than 65 years. Shortly afterward a democratic constitution was adopted. Later that year, a nationwide strike forced the Communist-led government to resign and an interim government was formed. In 1992 elections the Communists lost their majority in the People's Assembly. Antigovernment rioting broke out throughout the country in 1997, in part because of dissatisfaction with the government in dealing with the collapse of investment schemes to which a large number of citizens had contributed money.
Roughly half a million Albanian refugees left the Yugoslav province of Kosovo in an attempt to escape attacks by Serbian forces in 1998 and 1999. The refugees entered Albania and were housed for several months by international organizations.
President Meidani signed Albania's new constitution into law in November, 1998. In 2002, parliament, controlled by The Socialist Party, chose Alfred Moisiu as the new president.