| Conflict: | Albanian-Epirote War |
| Date: | 1374–1375 |
| Place: | Epirus, modern day Greece |
| Territory: | Status quo ante bellum |
| Result: | Ceasefire
|
| Combatant1: | Despotate of Arta |
| Combatant2: | Despotate of Epirus |
| Commander1: | Gjin Bua Shpata |
| Commander2: | Thomas II Preljubović |
| Units1: | Bua (tribe) Malakasioi tribe |
| Units2: | Epirote Army |
| Strength1: | Unknown |
| Strength2: | Unknown |
| Casualties1: | Unknown |
| Casualties2: | unknown |
The Albanian-Epirote War of 1374–75 was waged between the Despotate of Arta, led by Gjin Bua Shpata and the Despotate of Epirus, led by Thomas II Preljubović.[1]
In 1367, Pjetër Losha together with his son, Gjin, launched an invasion into Thomas II Preljubović's despotate.[2] [3] During their campaign, Pjetër laid a three-year siege on the Ioannina. In 1370, the siege and thus the war ended with a ceasefire, in which Thomas's daughter Irina, was forced to marry Gjin, son of Pjetër Losha.[4] In 1374, Pjetër Losha died of the plague in Arta, after which Gjon Bua Shpata took over the city. At this time, he was not bound by an agreement with Thomas; he waged war against Thomas in the same year.
Shpata quickly invaded Thomas's realm. Thomas's forces met Shpata's army near Arta, where Shpata decisively defeated the army of Thomas.[5] Thomas then withdrew and barricaded himself in his capital of Ioannina. Not soon after that, Shpata laid siege to Ioannina and ravaged the country-side. The siege only ended when Thomas brought peace by betrothening his sister Helena to Gjon Bua Shpata the following year.
Although Shpata made peace with Thomas, the Malakasi, who were an Albanian tribe acting independently and stood under no order from Shpata, continued to fight with Thomas until they were finally defeated in 1377 and 1379.
. The Despotate of Epiros, 1267-1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages . Cambridge University Press . 1984 . 978-0-521-26190-6 . 143 . The Chronicle of Ioannina is deeply prejudiced against Thomas Preljubovic. . Donald MacGillivray Nicol.