The term Greater Albania[1] or Great Albania refers to land which is outside the borders of the Republic of Albania that Albanian nationalists claim as their own, because of either present-day or historical presence of Albanian populations in those areas. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The term implies a desire for territorial expansion. Albanians themselves mostly use the term ethnic Albania instead.
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Albanians under Ottoman Turkey
Prior to the Balkan wars of the beginning of the 20th century, Albanians were subjects of the Ottoman Empire. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish
The Albanian independence movement emerged in 1878 with the League of Prizren (a council based in Kosovo) whose goal was cultural and political autonomy for ethnic Albanians inside the framework of the Ottoman Empire. Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The League of Prizren (Lidhja e Prizrenit was an Albanian political organization founded on June 10, 1878 in Prizren, Vilayet of Kosovo The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish However, the Ottomans were not prepared to grant The League's demands. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Ottoman opposition to the League's cultural goals eventually helped transform it into an Albanian national movement.
Ethnic Albania
Ethnic Albania is a term used primarily by Albanian nationalists to denote the territories claimed as the traditional homeland of the ethnic Albanians. } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation These territories include Albania, Kosovo, Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac in Serbia, western parts of Republic of Macedonia and parts of Montenegro (Podgorica, Ulcinj, etc. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Preševo (Прешево; Preshevë or Presheva) also known as Presevo and Preshevo, is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of Medveđa ( Serbian Cyrillic: Медвећа; Medvegja is a town and municipality in Jablanica District of Serbia, bordering Kosovo. Bujanovac ( Serbian Cyrillic: Бујановац Albanian: Bujanoci) is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of Serbia Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country The Republic of Macedonia (Република Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Podgorica ( Montenegrin / Serbian: Подгорица Podgorica ˈpɔdgɔˌriʦa is the Capital and largest city of Montenegro Ulcinj ( Montenegrin / Serbian Cyrillic: Улцињ Albanian: Ulqin or Ulqini, Italian: Dulcigno, Ülgün ). Parts of the Epirus region of Greece referred to by Albanians as Çamëria are also sometimes included in this definition. Epirus ( Greek: Ήπειρος Ípiros) is a periphery in northwestern Greece. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Chameria ( Albanian: Çamëria, Greek Τσαμουριά Tsamouriá) is the name used by Albanians for part of the coastal region
World War II
During World War II, with the fall of Yugoslavia in 1941, Italians placed the land inhabited by ethnic Albanians under the jurisdiction of an Albanian quisling government. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest That included the Republic of Kosovo, parts of Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro. Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE!
Current status
The recent independence of Kosovo could be interpreted as a degree of success in the creation of a Greater Albania (were such territory to be annexed to Albania or federated with the state), although the United Nations (UN) has stated that if as a result Kosovo becomes independent, annexation to another state would not be possible. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security In a survey carried out by United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, and published in March 2007 only 2. 5% of the Albanians in Kosovo thought unification with Albania is the best solution for Kosovo. } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. 96% said they wanted Kosovo to become independent within its present borders. [2]
Territories claimed
- List of Albanian exonyms. Below is list of Albanian language exonyms for places outside of Albania and Kosovo: Austria Austria Austri
Kosovo
Kosovo presently has an overwhelmingly Albanian majority, estimated to be around 92%. The Albanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. According to the 1991 Serbian census boycotted by Albanians there were 2596072 Albanians in Kosovo [3]
Montenegro
Montenegro also contains sizeable Albanian populations mostly concentrated in areas such as southern Malësia, the Podgorica (Potgorica}, Ulcinj (Ulqini) municipality on the coast, the Tuzi area near Podgorica, and parts of the Plav (Plava), Gusinje (Guci) and Rožaje (Rozhajë) municipalities. Albanians in Montenegro constitute 503% of the county's total population. Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Malësia ( Albanian Malësia e Madhe, Serbian: Малесија is a geographical region in northern Albania and eastern Montenegro. Podgorica ( Montenegrin / Serbian: Подгорица Podgorica ˈpɔdgɔˌriʦa is the Capital and largest city of Montenegro Ulcinj ( Montenegrin / Serbian Cyrillic: Улцињ Albanian: Ulqin or Ulqini, Italian: Dulcigno, Ülgün The Battle for Independence Tuzi is the site for the first Albanian uprising since the time of Gjergj Kastrioti - Skenderbeg in 1443 Podgorica ( Montenegrin / Serbian: Подгорица Podgorica ˈpɔdgɔˌriʦa is the Capital and largest city of Montenegro Plav ( Plavë or Plava) is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. The Town Ali Paša's Springs ( Albanian: Ali Pashë Gucia Serbian: Алипашини Извори Alipašini izvori) named after Rožaje ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Рожаје is a town in northeastern Montenegro.
Southern Epirus
Southern Epirus was given as a gift by the retreating Ottoman army, when the newly-formed Albanian state proclaimed independence on November 28, 1912. Chameria ( Albanian: Çamëria, Greek Τσαμουριά Tsamouriá) is the name used by Albanians for part of the coastal region For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The area was occupied by the Greek Army in the First Balkan War, and awarded to Greece by the London Conference of 1913. The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 pitted the Balkan League ( Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria The London Conference of 1913 (also known as the London Peace Conference) was an International summit to discuss issues arising from the declaration of After the capitulation of Italy in 1943, a number of the muslim Çams joined forces with the German occupation army, forming a special Çam unit. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Other members of the Çams community (300-500) joined the National Liberation Front (EAM). The National Liberation Front (EAM ( Εθνικό Απελευθερωτικό Μέτωπο (ΕΑΜ, Ethniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo) was the main movement of the EAM had about 2,500 members in 1944. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1944 , a number of Cham Albanians of Southern Epirus were forced to leave Greece by EDES (a Greek World War II resistance group), operating under British[4] orders from the Special Operations Executive. The Special Operations Executive ( SOE) (sometimes referred to as "the Baker Street Irregulars " after Sherlock Holmes ' fictional group of helpers According to the 1928 census held by the Greek state, there were 18,600-19,600 Muslim Cams in southern Epirus. In the first post-war census (1951), only 123 Muslim Çams were left in the area. Descendants of the exiled Muslim Çams (up to 200,000 living in Albania) claim that up to 35,000 Muslim Çams were living in southern Epirus before World War II. They call themselves Çam (Cham) after the Albanian word for Epirus, Çamëria but also the term Epir is used alone. Many of them are currently trying to pursue legal ways to claim compensation for the properties seized by Greece. Nowadays, only a small number live in Greece[5] (along with recent immigrant Albanians who came to Greece after c. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term 1990). For Greece the issue does not exist[6].
Republic of Macedonia
The western part of Republic of Macedonia is an area with a large ethnic Albanian minority. Albanians ( Albanian: Shqiptarë, Macedonian: Албанци Albanci) are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic The Albanian population in Republic of Macedonia is variously estimated to make up between 23%-25% of the population. Cities with Albanian majorities or large minorities include Tetovo (Tetova), Gostivar (Gostivari), Struga (Struga), Debar (Diber), Kumanovo (Kumanova) and Skopje (Shkup)[7]. Tetovo (Тетово; Tetova Tetovë Kalkandelen is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by Gostivar (Гостивар; Gostivari is a city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog valley region Struga (Струга; Strugë is a Town situated in the south-western region of the Republic of Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. Debar (Дебaр Dibra is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, near the border with Albania, on the road from Struga to Gostivar Kumanovo (Куманово is thе third largest city in the Republic of Macedonia after Skopje and Bitola, and is the seat of the Skopje (Скопје; Shkup or Shkupi is the Capital and largest city in the Republic of Macedonia, with more than a quarter of the population In 1992 Albanian activists in Struga proclaimed also the founding of the Republic of Ilirida[8] with the intention of autonomy or federalization inside the Republic of Macedonia. The declaration had only symbolic meaning and the idea of an autonomous state of Ilirida is not officially accepted by the ethnic Albanian politicians in the Republic of Macedonia[9] [10]. (See also 2001 Macedonia conflict)
Preševo Valley
The municipalities of Preševo (Presheva), Bujanovac (Bujanovci) and part of the municipality of Medveđa (Medvegja) also contain Albanian populations. The insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia ( January - November 2001) was an armed conflict which began when the ethnic Albanian National Albanians are the majority in Serbian muncipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac and a significant minority in Medvedja. Preševo (Прешево; Preshevë or Presheva) also known as Presevo and Preshevo, is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of Bujanovac ( Serbian Cyrillic: Бујановац Albanian: Bujanoci) is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of Serbia Medveđa ( Serbian Cyrillic: Медвећа; Medvegja is a town and municipality in Jablanica District of Serbia, bordering Kosovo. According to the 2002 census, Preševo contained an overwhelming Albanian ethnic majority of over 90%. Bujanovcac around 54. 69% and Medveđa 48. 17%. Tense relations between ethnic Serbians and Albanians and also the increased hatred after the Kosovo War, resulted in military actions after the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB) was formed. Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 The Liberation Army of Preševo Medveđa and Bujanovac ( Albanian: Ushtria Çlirimtare e Preshevës Medvegjës dhe Bujanocit, UCPMB was a guerrilla One of UÇPMB's roles entails seceding these specific municipalities from Serbia and annex them to the independent Republic of Kosovo.
Political uses of the concept
The Albanian problem in the Balkan peninsula is in part the consequence of the decisions made by Western Powers. One theory posits that the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Austro-Hungary wanted to maintain a brittle balance in Europe in the late 19th century following the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.
| “ | We spent the 1990s worrying about a Greater Serbia. The term Greater Serbia or Great Serbia ( Serbian: Велика Србија Velika Srbija) applies to the key current within Serbian That's finished. We are going to spend time well into the next century worrying about a Greater Albania. | ” |
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—Christopher R. Hill, US Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia, 1999[11] |
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The degree to which different groups are working towards, and what efforts such groups are undertaking in order to achieve a Greater Albania is disputed. Christopher Robert Hill (born 1952 is an American Diplomat who currently serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. The Republic of Macedonia (Република There seems no evidence that anything more than a few unrepresentative extremist groups are working towards this cause; the vast majority of Albanians want to live in peace with their neighbors. However, it must be noted that they also want the human rights of the Albanian ethnic populations in Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Greece to be respected. An excellent example is the friendly relationship between the Republic of Montenegro and the support towards the integration of the Albanian population in Republic of Macedonia - there is Albanian representation in government, the national parliament, local government, and the business sector, and no evidence of systematic discrimination on an ethnic or religious basis against the Albanian (or indeed any other minority) population. Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! In other countries, such as Serbia, Greece, and Republic of Macedonia, politicians and ethnic leaders have often used the idea of a 'Greater Albania' to generate ethnic hatred and fear of Albanian political activities, and to justify policies that undermine political and human rights of Albanian minorities.
International Crisis Group Research
International Crisis Group researched the issue of Pan-Albanianism[12] and published a report titled "Pan-Albanianism: How Big a Threat to Balkan Stability?" on February 2004. The International Crisis Group ( ICG) is an independent international Non-profit, Non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve Their report concludes that the "notions of pan-Albanianism are far more layered and complex than the usual broad brush characterisations of ethnic Albanians simply bent on achieving a greater Albania or a greater Kosovo. " Furthermore, the report states that amongst Albanians "violence in the cause of a greater Albania, or of any shift of borders, is neither politically popular nor morally justified. " International Crisis Group advises the Albanian and Greek governments to endeavour and settle the long-standing issue of the Chams displaced from Greece in 1945, before it gets hijacked and exploited by extreme nationalists, and the Chams' legitimate grievances get lost in the struggle to further other national causes. Moreover, the ICG findings suggest that Albania is more interested in developing cultural and economic ties with Kosovo, whilst maintaining separate statehood. [13]
See also
External links
- Albanian history by Robert Elsie
- Albanian Canadian League Information Service (ACLIS)
- Perspective: Albania and Kosova by Van Christo
- High Albania by M. Edith Durham
- Albanian Identities by Antonina Zhelyazkova
- The Kosovo Chronicles by Dusan Batakovic
- Albania and Kosovo | What happened to Greater Albania?, The Economist, 18 January 2007
References
- ^ http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/balkan/07%2811%29MD.pdf,"as Albanians continue mobilizing their ethnic presence in a cultural, geographic and economic sense, they further the process of creating a Greater Albania. The History of Albania began over two millennia ago with tribes of uncertain origin populating the area The Balkans is an area of southeastern Europe situated at a major crossroads between mainland Europe and the Near East. The rise of Albanian nationalism See also Rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire The 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War dealt a decisive blow to Ottoman The unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo from Serbia has generated controversy in international politics The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London "
- ^ UNDP: Early Warning Report. March 2007, p. 16 (Online text)
- ^ Statistical Office of Kosovo
- ^ http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/balkan/07%2801%29MV.pdf “In the event of the Cham controversy developing internationally, there is likely to be some discussion of the British role in the events, as it is generally believed that the EDES royalist militia leader Col. Napoleon Zervas was acting on the orders of a member of the British mission (C. M. Woodhouse) in moving against the Chams in 1943-44. Woodhouse has defended his decisions by claiming that the interethnic conflict in Epirus, and also fighting between different wings of the Greek anti-Axis movement, meant that two divisions of the communist-controlled ELAS popular army were tied up in Epirus and this helped save the British force under General Scobie from defeat in the Battle of Athens in 1944. ”
- ^ Le Monde diplomatique, [1]
- ^ http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/balkan/07%2801%29MV.pdf Despite the Cham-induced controversy, during a visit to Albania in mid-October 2004, Greek President Konstantinos Stephanopoulos stated at a news conference that the Cham issue did not exist for Greece and that claims for the restoration of property presented by both the Cham people and the Greek minority in Albania belonged to a past historical period which he considered closed. "I don't know if it is necessary to find a solution to the Cham issue, as in my opinion it does not need to be solved,” he said. “There have been claims from both sides, but we should not return to these matters. The question of the Cham properties does not exist," he told. When speaking of claims from both sides, Stephanopolous was referring reporters. to the Greek claims on Vorio Epirus (Northern Epirus), which include a considerable part of southern Albania.
- ^ Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization, Yearbook 1995 Page 41 By Mary Kate Simmons ISBN 904110223X
- ^ Whose Democracy? Nationalism, Religion, and the Doctrine of Collective rights in post-1989 eastern Europe Page 80 By Sabrina P. Ramet (1997) ISBN 0847683249
- ^ Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe Page 116 By Janusz Bugajski (1995) ISBN 1563242826
- ^ Macedonia: Authorities Allege Existence Of New Albanian Rebel Group
- ^ Sam Vaknin. The Union of Death: Terrorists and Freedom Fighters in the Balkans "The Army of Liberation" (Part V)
- ^ http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/csrc/document-listings/balkan/07%2801%29MV.pdf "Cham demonstrators was enough to galvanise Greece into defensive mode. The country embarked upon a series of military and diplomatic initiatives, which suggested a fear of Pan-Albanian expansion towards north-western Greece. Serbian and Macedonian media reports were claiming that new Pan-Albanian organisations were planning to expand their operations into north-western Greece to include Meanwhile, Chameria in their plans for the unification of “all Albanian territories. ” international observers were concerned that Kosovo politicians might start speculating with the Cham issue.
- ^ Pan-Albanianism: How Big a Threat to Balkan Stability?, Europe Report N°153, 25 February 2004
Sources
- Canak, Jovan M. Greater Albania: concepts and possibile [sic] consequences. Belgrade: Institute of Geopolitical Studies, 1998.
- Archivo storico, Ministero degli Affari Esteri (Italy).
- Sottosegretario di Stato per gli Affari Albanesi (State Undersecretary for Albanian Affairs) of Italy (1939-1943).
- Jaksic G. and Vuckovic V. Spoljna politika srbije za vlade. Kneza Mihaila, Belgrade, 1963.
- Dimitrios Triantaphyllou. The Albanian Factor. ELIAMEP, Athens, 2000.
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