Chronology of Albania

Chronology Of Major Events

Earliest known Illyrian king, Hyllus, dies.

King Bardhylus unites Illyria, Molossia (Epirus) and part           of Macedonia. The Illyrian kingdom reaches its peak.

Illyrians are defeated by Philip II of Macedonia.

King Glauk of Illyria expels Greeks from DurrÃƒÂ«s.

King Agron dies, the Illyrian throne is occupied by Queen           Teuta.

Romans capture King Gent of Illyria and send him to Rome. Illyria is now under Roman control.

Christianity comes to Illyrian populated areas.

Emperor Tiberius of Rome subjugates the Illyrians and divides           present day Albania between Dalmatia, Epirus, and Macedonia.

Division of Roman Empire leaves lands presently inhabited           by Albanians under the administration of the Eastern Empire.

Goths, Huns, Avars, Serbs, Croats, and Bulgars successively           invade Illyrian lands.

Slav tribes settle into the territories of present-day Slovenia,           Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, and assimilate the Illyrian            populations of these regions. The Illyrians in the south (preset Albania)           avert assimilation.

Illyrians are subordinated to the patriarchate of Constantinople           by the Byzantine Emperor, Leo the Isaurian.

Christianity divides into Catholic and Orthodox churches. Christians in southern Albania are left under the ecumenical patriarch           of Constantinople and those in the north under the pope in Rome.

Albania and Albanians as the direct of Illyrians origin are           mentioned for the first time in a historical record, by Byzantine emperor.

Serbs occupy parts of northern and eastern Albanian inhabited           lands.

Venice wins control over most of Albania, but Byzantines regain           control of the southern portion and establish the Despotate of Epirus.

Forces of the King of Naples occupy DurrÃƒÂ«s and establish           the Kingdom of ArbÃƒÂ«ria, the first Albanian kingdom since the fall of            Illyria.

Albanian ruler of DurrÃƒÂ«s invites Ottoman forces to intervene against           a rival.

Albanians join Serbian-led Balkan army that is defeated by Ottoman forces           at the Battle of Kosova.

Gjergj Kastrioti (Scanderbeg) is born.

After losing a battle near Nis, Scanderbeg with a group of Albanian           warriors defect from the Ottoman army and return to Kruja.

Albanian principalities unite at Lezha under Scanderbeg, who is proclaimed           chief of Albanian resistance.

Albanians, under Scanderbeg, rout Ottoman forces under Sultan Murat           II.

Scanderbeg dies.

Kruja falls to Ottoman Turks; Shkodra falls a year later. Subsequently,           many Albanians flee to southern Italy, Greece, Egypt, and elsewhere;            many remaining are forced to convert to Islam.

Some Albanians who convert to Islam find careers in Ottoman Empire's           government and military.

About two-thirds of Albanians convert to Islam.

Albanian leader Ali Pasha of Tepelena assassinated by Ottoman agents           for promoting autonomy.

1000 Albanian leaders invited to meet with Ottoman general who kills           about half of them.

Ottoman Porte divides Albanian-populated lands into vilayets of Janina,           Manastir, Shkodra, and Kosova with Ottoman administrators.

First school known to use Albanian language in modern times is open           in Shkodra.

Treaty of San Stefano, signed after Russo-Turkish War, assigned Albanian-populated           lands to Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia; but Austria-Hungary and Britain            block the treaty's implementation. Albanian leaders meet in Prizren,           Kosova, to form the League of Prizren. The League initially advocated           autonomy for Albania. At the Congress of Berlin, the Great Powers overturn           the Treaty of San Stefano and divide Albanian lands among several states. The League of Prizren begins to organize resistance to the Treaty of           Berlin's provisions that affect Albanians.

Ottoman forces crush Albanian resistance fighters at Prizren. The League's           leaders and families are arrested and deported.

Ottoman authorities disband a reactivated League of Prizren, execute           its leader and ban Albanian language books.

Albanian intellectuals meet in Manastir (Bitolja, Macedonia), at the           Congress of Manastir to standardize the Albanian alphabet using the            Latin script. Up to now, Latin, Cyrillic and Arabic script had been           used.

May. Albanians rise against the Ottoman authorities and seize Shkup           (Skopje, Macedonia). October. First Balkan War begins, and Albanian leaders affirm Albania           as an independent state. November. Albanian delegates at Vlora declare the independence of Albania           and establish a provisional government. December. Ambassadorial conference           opens in London and discusses Albania's fate.

May. Treaty of London ends First Balkan War, Second Balkan War begins. November. Treaty of Bucharest ends Second Balkan War. Great Powers recognize           an independent Albanian state. Demographics are ignored, however, and           half of the territories inhabited by Albanians (such as Kosova and Chameria)            are divided among Montenegro, Serbia and Greece.

Prince Wilhelm of Wied is installed as head of the Albanian state by           the International Control Commission. His rule ended within six months,           with the outbreak of World War I.

World War I ends, with Italian armies occupying most of Albania, and           Serbian, Greek and French armies occupying the remainder. Italian and           Yugoslav powers begin struggle for dominance over Albanians. In December,           Albanian leaders meet at DurrÃƒÂ«s to discuss Albania's interests at the            Paris Peace Conference.

Serbs attack Albanian cities; Albanians adopt guerilla warfare. Albania           is denied official representation at the Paris Peace Conference; British,            French and Greek negotiators decide to divide Albania among Greece,            Italy and Yugoslavia. This decision is vetoed by American president           Wilson.

January. Albanian leaders meet in LushnjÃƒÂ« and reject the partitioning           of Albania by the Treaty of Paris, warn that Albanians will take up            arms in defence of territory, and creates bicameral parliament. February. Albanian government moves to Tirana, which becomes the capital. September. Albania forces Italy to withdraw its troops and abandon claims           on Albanian territory. December. Albania is admitted to the League of Nations as sovereign           and independent state.

November. Yugoslav troops invade Albania; League of Nations commission           forces Yugoslav withdrawal and reaffirms Albania's 1913 borders. December. Popular Party, led by Xhafer Ypi, forms government with Ahmet           Zogu as minister of internal affairs.

August. Ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople recognizes the Autochephalous           Albanian Orthodox Church. September. Ahmet Zogu assumes position as Prime Minister.

Albania's Sunni Muslims break ties with Constantinople and pledge primary           allegiance to native country. July. A peasant-backed insurgency wins control of Tirana; Fan S. Noli           becomes Prime Minister; Zogu flees to Yugoslavia. December. Zogu, backed by Yugoslav army, returns to power and begins           to smother parliamentary democracy; Noli flees to Italy.

March. Zogu's party wins elections for National Assembly, but Zogu steps           down after a financial scandal and a assassination attempt.

Italy and Albania sign First Treaty of Tirana, which guarantees Zogu's           political position and Albania's boundaries.

Zogu pressures the parliament to dissolve itself, a new constituent           assembly declares Albania a kingdom and Zogu becomes Zog I, "King            of the Albanians."

Zog refuses to renew the First Treaty of Tirana. Italians continue with           political and economic pressure.

After Albania signs trade agreements with Greece and Yugoslavia, Italy           suspends economic support, then attempts to threaten Albania.

Mussolini presents a gift of 3,000,000 gold frances to Albania; other           economic aid follows.

March. Mussolini delivers ultimatum to Albania. April. Mussolini's troops invade and occupy Albania; Albanian parliament           votes to unite Albania with Italy; Zog flees to Greece.

Italian army attacks Greece through Albania.

April. Germany, with support of Italy and other allies defeat Greece           and Yugoslavia. October. Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist leader, directs organizing           of Albanian communists. November. Albanian Communist Party founded; Enver Hoxha becomes first           secretary.

September. Communist Party organizes National Liberation Movement, a           popular front resistance organization. October. Non-communist nationalist groups form to resist the Italian           occupation.

August. Italy's surrender to Allied forces weakens Italian hold on Albania;           Albanian resistance fighters overwhelm five Italian divisions. September. German forces invade and occupy Albania.{|cellspacing="10" border="0" bgcolor="white" width="100%"
 * width="180" valign="top"|1204
 * Part of the Despotate of Epirus (under Byzantine,               then Serbian, and later Bulgarian influence).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1259 - 1268
 * DurrÃ«s (Durazzo) independent.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1356
 * Albanian Principality
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1384
 * Ottoman conquest of Albanian tribes and principalities               begins.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 18 Aug 1392               - 1501
 * Venetian rule in DurrÃ«s (Durazzo).
 * width="180" valign="top"|1396 - 26 Jan               1479
 * Venetian rule in ShkodÃ«r (Scutari).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 2 Mar 1444 -               17 Jan 1468
 * Gjergj Kastrioti - Scanderbeg (b. 1403 - d. 1468)               leads an Albanian state in central Albania.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1466
 * VlorÃ« (Valona) part of the Ottoman Empire (from               1810 - 1846 part of Rumelia, and from 1846 part of Janina.
 * width="180" valign="top"|1478
 * Interior regions part of Ottoman Empire.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 26 Jan 1479
 * ShkodÃ«r (Scutari) part of the Ottoman Empire.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1501
 * Ottoman conquest completed; Albanian lands divided               into several Vilayets or provinces: Rumelia, Yanya, Monastir (1846-1877),                Ishkodra, Uskib (1846-1863), ValorÃ« (to 1810), and (from 1877) Kosovo.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1878 - 1881
 * Albanian rebellion under the League of Prizren
 * width="180" valign="top"| 23 Aug 1912
 * Ottoman Empire agrees to grant limited autonomy               (autonomy for the Albanians, not for Albania).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1 Nov 1912 -               26 Oct 1913
 * Serbia occupies DurrÃ«s.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 28 Nov 1912
 * Independence declared.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 23 Apr 1913               - 6 May 1913
 * ShkodÃ«r occupied by Montenegro.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 14 May 1913               - 1914
 * ShkodÃ«r under international military administration.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jul 1913
 * Independence recognized by the great powers. &gt;
 * width="180" valign="top"| Jan 1914 - 7               Mar 1914
 * Under an International Commission (Austria-Hungary,               Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 7 Mar 1914
 * Albanian Principality
 * width="180" valign="top"| 5 Sep 1914 -               19 Sep 1914
 * Under an International Commission.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 26 Dec 1914               - 2 Sep 1920
 * Italy occupies VlorÃ« and parts of Southern Albania               in 1915 - 1917; and from Nov 1918 former Austro-Hungarian occupied                the areas.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 14 Jun 1915               - 23 Jan 1916
 * ShkodÃ«r occupied by Montenegro.
 * width="180" valign="top"| Jan 1916 - 13               Nov 1918
 * Northern and Central Albania occupied by Austria-Hungary               (and Bulgaria in the east from 1915).
 * width="180" valign="top"| Jun 1916 - 26               May 1920
 * District of Korce and the south under French occupation.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1919
 * Albanian provisional government recognized by               Italy as the legal government of the Italian protected zone.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 22 Aug 1920
 * Italy a recognizes full independence of Albania.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 17 Jul 1921               - 20 Nov 1921
 * Proclamation of an independent MirditÃ« republic               in the north.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 9 Nov 1921
 * The Great Powers confirmed the independence of               Albania, within its frontiers of about 1913.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 31 Jan 1925
 * Albanian Republic (proclaimed 22 Jan 1925).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 27 Nov 1926
 * Treaty of Alliance and Security of TiranÃ« signed               with Italy, by 1938 Albania becomes a de facto Italian protectorate.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1 Sep 1928
 * Albanian Kingdom
 * width="180" valign="top"| 7 Apr 1939
 * Invaded by Italy.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 16 Apr 1939               - 9 Sep 1943
 * Personal union with Italy (de facto annexation).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 8 Jul 1940 -               24 Apr 1941
 * Greek occupation of northern Epirus.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jun 1941               - 20 Oct 1944
 * Kosovo, part of western Macedonia (Kercova, Dibra,               Tetovo, and Struga) and small parts of Montenegro (Ulcinj and few                villages east of Podgorica) are annexed to Albania (formally 3 Dec                1941).
 * width="180" valign="top"| Sep 1944 - 20               Oct 1944
 * Kumanovo and surroundings in formerly Bulgarian               Macedonia are annexed to Albania.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 8 Sep 1943 -               20 Oct 1944
 * German occupation.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 11 Jan 1946
 * People's Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"| 28 Dec 1976
 * Socialist People's Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"|&gt; 30 Apr 1991
 * Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"|Apr 1997 - 14               Aug 1997
 * Multinational Protection Force in southern Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jun 1997
 * Referendum rejects restoration of the monarchy.
 * }
 * width="180" valign="top"| 31 Jan 1925
 * Albanian Republic (proclaimed 22 Jan 1925).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 27 Nov 1926
 * Treaty of Alliance and Security of TiranÃ« signed               with Italy, by 1938 Albania becomes a de facto Italian protectorate.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 1 Sep 1928
 * Albanian Kingdom
 * width="180" valign="top"| 7 Apr 1939
 * Invaded by Italy.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 16 Apr 1939               - 9 Sep 1943
 * Personal union with Italy (de facto annexation).
 * width="180" valign="top"| 8 Jul 1940 -               24 Apr 1941
 * Greek occupation of northern Epirus.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jun 1941               - 20 Oct 1944
 * Kosovo, part of western Macedonia (Kercova, Dibra,               Tetovo, and Struga) and small parts of Montenegro (Ulcinj and few                villages east of Podgorica) are annexed to Albania (formally 3 Dec                1941).
 * width="180" valign="top"| Sep 1944 - 20               Oct 1944
 * Kumanovo and surroundings in formerly Bulgarian               Macedonia are annexed to Albania.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 8 Sep 1943 -               20 Oct 1944
 * German occupation.
 * width="180" valign="top"| 11 Jan 1946
 * People's Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"| 28 Dec 1976
 * Socialist People's Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"|&gt; 30 Apr 1991
 * Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"|Apr 1997 - 14               Aug 1997
 * Multinational Protection Force in southern Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jun 1997
 * Referendum rejects restoration of the monarchy.
 * }
 * width="180" valign="top"| 28 Dec 1976
 * Socialist People's Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"|&gt; 30 Apr 1991
 * Republic of Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"|Apr 1997 - 14               Aug 1997
 * Multinational Protection Force in southern Albania
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jun 1997
 * Referendum rejects restoration of the monarchy.
 * }
 * width="180" valign="top"| 29 Jun 1997
 * Referendum rejects restoration of the monarchy.
 * }
 * }