Republic of Albania

Republic of Albania Republika e Shqipërisë
Flag Coat of arms
Capital and largest city	Tirana
Official languages	Albanian
Demonym(s)	Albanian
Dominant mode of production	Capitalism
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Bajram Begaj
• Prime Minister	Edi Rama
Legislature	Kuvendi
Area
• Total	28,748 km²
Population
• 2022 estimate	2,793,592

Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a bourgeois republic established in 1992 after the overthrow of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. It borders Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and is on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, being separated from Italy by a small stretch of water called the Strait of Otranto.

History

Independence

The First Balkan War began in October 1912 leading to the occupation of Albania, which was at that time a part of the Ottoman Empire, by the alliance of Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro. On November 28, 1912, Albania's independence was declared to prevent its partition by the coalition and a provisional government was formed by Ismail Qemal-bey. Seeing an opportunity to expand their influence, Italy and Austria-Hungary declared their support for the states independence.

On Dec. 17, 1912, at the London Conference, the European Great Powers recognized the autonomy of Albania and subsequently its independence was recognised by the 1913 Treaty of London and by the London Conference of Ambassadors held on July 29, 1913. Although officially independent, Albania was in actuality a puppet of the imperialist Great Powers. In March 1914 they imposed German Prince, William of Wied, as its monarch, who ruled the country until September 1914.

Although a neutral state Albania became a battleground following the outbreak of the First World War. In April 1915 the Entente signed the secret 1915 Treaty of London with Italy abolishing Albanian independence and giving Italy influence over Albania. Subsequently by the end of the war Albania was occupied by Italian, Serbian, and Greek troops.

The October Revolution inspired a new fight for Albanian independence and the Albanian National Congress assembled Jan. 21–31, 1920, in Lushnje, proclaimed the independence of Albania. The Albanian government led a struggle against its foreign occupiers and feudal separatists between 1920 and 1922 ending in the liberation of their lands and from 1922 to 1924 Albania's borders were defined on the basis of the decision of the 1913 London Conference of Ambassadors.

First Republic

In its early days of emancipation, Albania remained unstable and impoverished with a political struggle raging between the feudal-landlord group led by Ahmed Zogu and the liberals led by Fan Noli. Following an uprising by the antifeudal movement In June 1924, Noli came to power with a programme of bourgeois democratic reforms leading Zogu to flee the country in what was essentially a bourgeois revolution. Although Noli's government made progressive decisions such as establishing relations with the Soviet Union, it was politically weak and the bourgeoisie proved themselves incapable of destroying feudalism and defending Albania from imperialism.

In December 1924 counterrevolutionary forces led by Zogu crossed the border from Yugoslavia with support from the imperialist powers of Britain, France and Italy allowing Zogu to repress democratic forces and seize power. On January 21, 1925, Albania was declared a republic with Zogu as president but Zogu would later on September 1, 1928, change Albania into a monarchy and declare himself King Zog. Zogu's reactionary regime subjugated itself to Fascist Italy providing the power with agricultural goods and raw materials and allowed Italy to consolidate control over the country year by year. The people were restless throughout the rule of the regime and during the 1930s many uprisings occurred and several resistance groups, communists among them, formed to fight the repressive regime.

On April 7, 1939, Fascist Italy invaded Albania and formed a personal union with the country on April 12 setting up a puppet government. At the beginning of the Second World War, resistance to fascist occupation was disorganised and limited but the entry of the Soviets into the war and the establishment of the Communist Party of Albania in November 1941 helped lay the foundation for victory in the national liberation struggle. By September 1943 the Italian occupiers had been driven from most of Albania but they were soon replaced by occupiers from Nazi Germany arriving on September 10, 1943. With the Soviets advancing on the eastern front and the successful repulsion of German attacks by the Albanians from late 1943 to early 1944, the Albanians were soon able to push back the Fascists and complete the liberation of Albania on November 29.

Socialist period

See main article: People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1992)

Counterrevolution

Communists won the elections in March 1991. The NED organized mass protests and a general strike and gave over $100,000 to the opposition, leading the government to collapse in June. The U.S. threatened to refuse all aid from the country if the Communists won the next elections in March 1992. With major U.S. support, the Democratic Party won the 1992 elections. President Sali Berisha ruled as a corrupt dictator until 1996. He rigged elections and imprisoned the main opposition leader.