The Treaties of Tirana were signed in Tirana between Albania and Italy in the 1920s, bringing Albania into the Italian sphere of influence and gradually turning the Albanian state into a de facto protectorate of Italy.[1]
See main article: History of Albania.
At the time of the signing of the treaties, the country of Albania was under the kingship of Zog I of Albania, known in Albanian as the king of the Albanians, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve. In 1925, Ahmet Zogu, was elected president for seven years and on 1 September 1928, during his swearing ceremony, he proclaimed himself as the King.[2] Being the first and the last king of the Albanian nation, he served the country from 1922 until he fled to London during the start of the Second World War in 1939. Albania was thought by Italy as the portal for the rest of the Balkan countries, Greece, and the Near Eastern countries.[3] In May 1925, Albania accepted the proposal of the Italians and the Albanian National Bank was founded. It acted as the country's treasury despite being solely controlled by the Italian banks.[4] For the first time, Albania had its own national coin minted. The proposal came with a five-year loan equivalent of about 2 million pounds of that time. In non-official meetings with Italian officials, Zog expressed his sympathy for Mussolini and the Italians. He even promised economic concessions to them further piquing their interest in the country of Albania. From the beginning seizing the power as king of the Albanians, Zog wanted to:
See also: Vlora War. A first treaty of Tirana between Italy and Albania was signed on 2 August 1920 to end hostilities between Italian troops and Albanian nationalists in the aftermath of World War I, some years before the rise to power of Mussolini in Italy and Zog in Albania.[6] This agreement contained the following clause:
Italy recognized Albania as independent (despite plans to create an Italian mandate over Albania) and abandoned Vlorë (Italian-occupied since 1914), while retaining a diplomatic protection to guarantee Albania's autonomy and annexing Saseno.
The Italian prime minister of the time, Giovanni Giolitti, described his decision to sign the treaty in the following terms.
Mussolini upheld the treaty and unleashed the crisis of Corfu against Greece when an Italian mission sent to determine the Albanian-Greek borders was attacked by the Greeks.
On November 27, 1926, Italy signed with Albania the Pakti i Parë i Tiranës, the Treaty of Peace and Security, in Albanian Pakti Italo-Shqiptar i Miqësisë dhe i Sigurimit. The treaty had a duration validity of five years.[7] It pushed Tirana to accept Italian officers and ranking members into their army and police to oversee the Albanian army and train it. King Zog fearing that the unrest of his people will lead to the loss of his throne, signed the treaty. Italy proclaimed Albania as its "guarantor". The two countries would provide support to each other, whether it be military or economic. The treaty consisted of five articles.[8]
The treaty was accompanied by money provisions to the King making it more appealing for him to sign it by exploiting his desperation. Albania was blocked in the Balkan and European arena by Italy. The treaty brought reactions to Albania's neighbouring country, Yugoslavia. The country took military action against Albania's northern border with the support of France. Mussolini recognised the Franco-Yugoslav pact as an act against Italy.
On November 22, 1927, the Pakti i Dytë i Tiranës was signed between Albania and Italy, with a duration validity of twenty years. It was a defensive alliance characterised by the Italians as the Treaty of Defense, in Albanian Traktati i Aleancës Mbrojtëse. The internal threat of a famine triggering uprisings and the external threat of Yugoslavia rushed the Albanians to sign the treaty. It intended to remain a secret between the two countries. It tasked Italy to protect the Albanian territory from possible attacks and in return Albania made available to Italy all of its military arsenal. It was favoured by Italy because of its secretive nature. The Second Treaty consisted of seven articles.
It was characterised as a Friendship Pact, Pakti i Miqësisë, as it linked the two countries firmly to each other. The treaty allowed the Italians to bring two hundred and eighty officers to train the Albanian army. Military experts started to instruct Albanian paramilitary groups, whilst allowing in the meantime the Italian navy to access the port of Vlorė. Fortifications were also built, especially that of Librazhdit and conditions and rules were created for the protection of the capital. The treaty meant a lot more to the Italians as it enabled them to enter Albania freely, whether a real or fictional threat existed. Their doorway towards the Balkans had opened. Albania came into an inevitable relationship with Italy.[10] In Rome, a ministry was created specifically to control the Albanian affairs and count Francesco Jacomoni was appointed minister to Albania.
See also: Albania in World War II. In 1937, Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister and Mussolini's son-in-law, mediated with Mussolini to give a further 60 million gold francs to Albania.[11] He saw Albania as a gateway to the Balkans and wanted to expand his plans. This happened because:
Italy occupied Albania in 1939 and declared it its protectorate. King Zog fled due to the Italian occupation of Albania on April 7, 1939. The crown of the country was formally given to the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III on 12 April.[12] A fascist government was created by the Italians under the Albanian Prime Minister, Shefqet Verlaci.