Albanian history is not exactly common knowledge. People kept asking me about it, which was a problem considering I didn't really know anything about Albania until recently. Hence the timeline. I thought of trying to write a witty title, but there is no reason. This simply is a timeline of Albanian
history, and I am obviously a nerd.
The information below was compiled from several
sources (read: mostly Wikipedia) encountered in my journey of educating myself on
all things Albania. No promises as to accuracy or relevance. I've added some images
and random historical facts for your amusement.
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| An ancient Albanian guy impressing the ladies? |
* 1000(ish) BCE – Albanian references appear in early Greco-Roman records
of Illyria.
* 150 CE – Ptolemy's writing and maps mention the city of
Albanopolis (northeast of present-day Durrës) and the
Illyrian tribes called Albanoi
who lived nearby.
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| Battle of Kosovo |
* 600’s –Slavic tribes wrestle control of the
area from the Byzantine Empire.
* 800’s – Invasion and domination by the Bulgarians.
* 1200’s - Local Albanian noble families emerge. Invasions from Serbia, present-day Italy, and waves of Crusaders. Occupiers establish
the Kingdom of Albania.
* 1389 – Ottoman Empire conquers the Balkans
after a decisive victory at the Battle of Kosovo.
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| Skanderbeg! |
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| * 1405 - George Kastrioti is born. He later becomes the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg. |
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* 1450 – Led by Skanderbeg, the Albanians rout
Ottoman forces under Sultan Murad II.
* 1480’s – Albania again falls to the Turks. Many Albanians flee. Many of those remaining are forced to convert to
Islam.
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| Ali Pasha, in all his glory |
* 1600’s – Muslim Albanians find status, careers,
and fancy uniforms in the Ottoman government and military.
* 1822 – Ali Pashë Tepelena is assassinated by
Ottoman agents for promoting an autonomous Albanian state.
* 1861 - First Albanian language school in modern
times opens in Shkodër.
* 1877/8 - Ottman Empire defeated in the Russo-Turkish War. This weakens their influence in the Balkans, but not so much in Albania.
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| Russo-Turkish war battle (supposedly) |
* 1878 –
At the Congress of Berlin, the great powers divide Albanian lands among
several states. The League of Prizren forms to organize resistance.
* 1881 –
Ottoman forces crush Albanian resistance fighters.
* 1897 - Ottoman authorities ban
Albanian language books.
* 1908 –
Albanian intellectuals choose the Latin alphabet as the standard script,
rejecting Arabic and Cyrillic.
* 1912 – Albanians rise against the Ottomans
and seize Skopje. The First Balkan War begins. Half of Albania’s
claimed territory is allotted to Serbia and Greece.
* 1913 – First Balkan War ends. Second Balkan
War begins. Second Balkan War ends. Albania is recognized as an independent state
ruled by a constitutional monarchy (read: German puppet
government).
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| Puppet Prince William |
* 1914 – The new Albanian state collapses with the
outbreak of World War I. Puppet Prince William flees, apparently after a naive but earnest attempt at ruling justly.
* 1918 – WWI ends with the Italians occupying most
of Albania. Serbia, Greece, and France control the rest.
* 1919 (a busy year) – Serbia attacks. Albania
enters a state of guerrilla warfare. European powers redraw Albanian’s
boundaries again, this time dividing the territory among Greece, Italy,
and Yugoslavia. Albanians resist and force out the Italians. Albania is admitted to the League of Nations as a sovereign state.
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| Is Zog also an aspiring band leader? |
* 1921 – Royal Yugoslav Army invades, but League of
Nations forces a withdrawal.
* 1923 – Albania’s Sunni Muslims break remaining
ties with disbanding Ottomans.
* 1928 – Ahmet Zogu is declared King Zog I, Skanderbeg III, King of Albania.
* 1939 – Italians invade.
King Zog and company flee.
* 1943 – Italians flee. Germans invade.
* 1944 – Germans flee. Supplied with Bristish weapons, Communist
partisans take control. Under Enver Hoxha, Albania enters a self-inflicted period of totalitarianism.
* 1960 – Albania sides with China in the Sino-Soviet
split.
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| meeting of the Comrades |
* 1966 - Hoxha initiates the Cultural and
Ideological Revolution.
* 1967 - Violent campaign against religious
activity. Over 2000 buildings were closed and converted and thousands of
religious officials were jailed. Albania declared the world's first
athiest state.
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| Berisha is the current Prime Minister. |
* 1989 - Communist rule in Eastern Europe
collapses.
* 1990 - Public protests erupt. Modest reforms
instituted. Albanians granted the right to travel. Thousands
flee by land. Thousands seize ships at port and sail illegally to
Italy.
* 1992 – Democratic Party wins elections. Sali
Berisha becomes first elected president.
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| Photo by Time Magazine, 1997 |
* 1993 – A new wave of political repression is
instigated by the ruling party. Pope John Paul II makes a historic visit.
(The last pope to travel to Albania died en route in 1464.)
* 1997 (another busy year) – Crown Prince Leka, son
of late King Zog, returns from exile in bid to take throne. Referendum on
restoration of the monarchy fails. He is accused of trying to stir up an armed
insurrection and flees back into exile. A massive pyramid investment scheme
collapses, costing thousands of Albanians their savings and triggering fierce
anti-government protests. Up to a million weapons are looted from army
stores as angry mobs take to the streets.
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| Photo by Carol Guzy |
* 1998 – Escalating unrest in Kosovo sends refugees
across border into Albania.
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| Prince Leka is very tall. |
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| Kosovar refugees (I think) |
* 1999 – NATO strikes Yugoslav military targets.
Serbs attack ethnic-Albanian Kosovars. Tens of thousands of refugees pour
into Albania.
* 2001 – UN claims Albanians are being poisoned by fatal toxins in their
environment, urges international help. The government is strongly criticized
for its lax policy toward human trafficking.
* 2002 - Albanian royals
return from exile.
* 2003 – Albania and EU begin first step in a long road to possible EU membership.
* 2004 – Twenty+ Albanians die in a failed attempt to enter Italy
in inflatable boats.
*2005 – Sali Berisha reelected.
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| I
could not resist using this picture to illustrate Bush's visit. Also, is that the same type of hat the guy is wearing in the
first picture on this post? Maybe it is an Albanian tradition. |
|
· * 2006 – Speedboats banned in effort to curb
human and drug smuggling in the Adriatic.
* 2007 – President George W. Bush becomes the first
US leader to visit Albania.
* 2009 - Albania joins NATO.
* 2010 – EU leaders reject Albania's membership
candidacy, but ease visa requirements.
Kosovo becomes a sovereign state
(sort of).
* 2011 - Deadly clashes leave four anti-government
protesters dead in demonstration about corruption and alleged election vote
rigging.
I would like to end on a more positive note, but
unfortunately I cannot invent history. Hopefully by the time I leave I'll be able to update this post with some positive historical events.
