The First World War (1914-1918) was one of the most complicated and eventful periods for Albania. This period is less studied by general and military historiography. Seven foreign armies invaded and occupied the Albanian land and turned it into a zone of military operations between warring groups. The two warring groups in their war and post-war plans used Albania’s territories as a barter to satisfy the neighboring states. It was the third time that the entire territory of Albania was widely occupied, in the period of the Eastern crisis of 1878-1881 and the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. As always, the primary role for the fragmentation of the Albanian territory was played by Balkan chauvinism, which, both on the eve of the war and at its beginning, the three Balkan monarchies, were more visible. The difficult situation of the Albanian people, its internal problems, the struggle for the protection of national rights and its territories did not line up. This war took place under special political conditions, but also armed, which was directed against the Balkan powers and the powers of the Adriatic and France.
Warring blocs in Albania
The Entente, both before and during the war, closely followed the rivalry between Austria-Hungary and Italy for the possession of the lower Adriatic and the Albanian territory. The Entente made efforts to have Italy on its side. Italy needed the help of the Entente to realize its dream. She started her game, and why on August 3 she was neutral in the world conflict. The Entente states, which had no territorial goals in Albania, did so to please the Italians and the Balkan states. Support at this time you and the Russian press, which wrote openly about the division of the Albanian territories. With the beginning of the world conflict, this support was coordinated with the diplomacy of the Entente countries, as well as towards Italy. For Italy, Vlora was the key to the Adriatic. Therefore, the president of the French Republic R. Poincaré proposed to the Russian representative in France, A. Izvolski, that by giving Vlora to Italy and giving Albania a free hand, we will draw him to their side. With the proposal of the French to give Vlora to Italy were the Russians and the English. Even the Italians were prepared to achieve their objectives with military means.The English were less advanced and required full assurance of bringing Italy into the war on their side. While Italy sought this security from the countries of the Entente, the aim was to loot after the end of the war.Â
Therefore, on April 26, 1915, the Secret Treaty of London was signed. The signing of this treaty made the situation in Albania worse and endangered its existence. Albania’s external position was determined by the Treaty of London and internal by foreign occupation. The Italian government joined the Entente for the division of Albanian lands among the Balkan states, but it would not release Vlora in any way. This was expressed by F. Martini, the minister of colonies, as well as Titoni in the project of September 25, because for the Italians, Vlora had strategic importance in the future. Even Austria-Hungary would use the Albanian territories for the realization of its political-military interests. Urging Montenegro ahead of the campaign with Serbia to maintain neutrality, he promised Shkodra and part of Northern Albania. Montenegro thought of achieving its goals towards Albania in a different way. He declared war on Austria-Hungary on August 6, dashing the Empire’s hopes. The government of Vienna knew the contradictions between Albania and the Slavic states, so she tried to use them for her purposes. The Chief of Staff of the Austro-Hungarian army in January 1914 expressed his opinion on the use of Albania in the realization of their political and military plans. He emphasized that Albania should be strengthened, in order to neutralize the Serbian-Montenegro Armed Forces.
Therefore, he proposed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary Leopold Berthold for the creation of the Albanian army, on the condition of cooperation with the Monarchy. He thought that Albania realized its interests, not by staying neutral but in close political and cultural relations with the Monarchy and alliances with it. Albania’s position and the political-military objectives of the Entente and the Central Bloc was that its territory and especially Vlora and in the other years of the war had a special importance especially for the two powers of the Adriatic. Therefore, the Albanian lands became prey to the greed of the Balkan states, Italy, Austria-Hungary, etc.
Conquest of Albanian territories
The concretization of the states’ plans and goals was carried over into military occupation actions in Albania. Greece was the first to attack, which invaded South Albania with the approval of both warring blocs. This invasion by Greece was purely formal, because the Greek Armed Forces were present in South Albania, disguised as the “autonomist” army. And the foreign consuls in Ioannina and Corfu had repeatedly notified their governments. The Greek propaganda media emphasized the “temporary” occupation. This issue was closed by the movement of troops and the replacement of the “autonomist” forces and their return to the regular army. With the invasion of the South of Albania, the autonomous state of “Vorio-Epir” came to an end, which had brought human and material damage to the population. At the end of October 1914, Italy began its conquering actions in the territory of Albania. She sent a small military contingent to the island of Sazan. A “sanitary mission” led by a lieutenant colonel first came to Vlora to control the situation. According to General Kadorna, sending military forces to Vlora was not advisable. The Italians wanted to take Vlora without any resistance, and they were waiting for a suitable situation and without any incident. Italian warships patrolling the waters near Vlora were careful to protect the idea of ​​Kadorna and gradually began to increase their forces.
The Italian consul in Vlora emphasized that with two battalions, it was not advisable to invade Vlora. Italy was concerned about the development of the international situation in the Mediterranean region. At this time, Turkey came out of neutrality and got closer to the Central Bloc. It entered the war against the Entente powers on 1 November. In this situation, the Italian government decided that its warships would control the coastal waters of Albania. Thus Italy was strengthening its positions and creating naval and land bases in the Gulf of Vlora. The invasion of Vlora took place on December 25, where with about 1 soldier he landed at Skëlë. These forces were equal to a battalion of the Italian navy. Their weapons were cannons and machine guns, and after a few days the Bersalier Regiment landed in Vlora, reaching 2,000 soldiers. Thus Italy was strengthening its positions and creating naval and land bases in the Gulf of Vlora. The invasion of Vlora took place on December 25, where with about 1 soldier he landed at Skëlë. These forces were equal to a battalion of the Italian navy. Their weapons were cannons and machine guns, and after a few days the Bersalier Regiment landed in Vlora, reaching 2,000 soldiers. Thus Italy was strengthening its positions and creating naval and land bases in the Gulf of Vlora. The invasion of Vlora took place on December 25, where with about 1 soldier he landed at Skëlë. These forces were equal to a battalion of the Italian navy. Their weapons were cannons and machine guns, and after a few days the Bersalier Regiment landed in Vlora, reaching 2,000 soldiers.
The occupation of Vlora was also accompanied by the expansion of the occupation area on its outskirts. In June 1915, Serbia occupied Central Albania and its North Montenegro. It had made a concentration of army forces on the Albanian border and these forces ranged from 10 to 20 thousand soldiers. These were commanded by General Damian Popovici, an ultra-chauvinist of the “Black Hand” society. In the history of the Serbian army, these forces are called the “Albanian Expedition”. The military grouping of the Serbian forces consisted of the grouping of Prizren, Drin and Ohrid. These groups attacked the Albanian border in three important directions and penetrated deep into the country. The Serbian invasion was done contrary to the objectives of the Powers. The Serbian command tried to justify the invasion, under the pretext of securing Albania’s flanks. The Serbian invader reached north of the Shkumbin River, adhering to the May 1913 agreement with Greece, where the dividing line in Albania was the Shkumbin River between them. Meanwhile, on June 8, the Montenegrin army also started military operations for the invasion of Northern Albania, with a force of about 6-7 thousand soldiers. Even this did not receive the approval of the Entente, two columns started on the first day of the invasion, the first in the direction of Gashi and Bytyç and the second in the direction of Kelmendi and Tarabosh. With the fall of Mount Tarabosh on June 10, the Montenegrin army reached the gates of Shkodra, but it did not enter the city. The government of Cetinje tried to explain the pretext of the invasion to ensure the supply of Montenegro via Shengjin and the Buna river, since the Albanians were constantly endangering it. Montenegrin military historiography has continuously tried to “argue” that their occupation of Northern Albania “was right from a military point of view” while for Italy and Greece, they “violated Albania’s neutrality without reason”. The invasion of Albania by the Serbian and Montenegrin armies caused the Greek army to expand the area of ​​occupation, reaching the vicinity of Berat. This state of occupation in Albania did not last long.
The Serbian, Montenegrin and Greek invaders were replaced by other invaders and the Albanian territory became a battlefield for the two largest military groups of the time. The invasion of Albania by the Serbian and Montenegrin armies caused the Greek army to expand the area of ​​occupation, reaching the vicinity of Berat. This state of occupation in Albania did not last long. The Serbian, Montenegrin and Greek invaders were replaced by other invaders and the Albanian territory became a battlefield for the two largest military groups of the time. The invasion of Albania by the Serbian and Montenegrin armies caused the Greek army to expand the area of ​​occupation, reaching the vicinity of Berat. This state of occupation in Albania did not last long. The Serbian, Montenegrin and Greek invaders were replaced by other invaders and the Albanian territory became a battlefield for the two largest military groups of the time.
