The Albanian people are believed to be the descendants of the Illyrian
tribes who lived east of the Adriatic sea during antiquity. The first
Albanian state was created in the 12th century, but it was short lived.
The coastal area and some parts of the inland were conquered by the house
of Anjou during the 14th century and thus joined with their south Italian
kingdom. They created the first Albanian kingdom but it was later reduced
to the area around the town of Durrės. The rest of Albania was fought over
by Serbia, Zeta (Montenegro) and Epirus. The victor however was the Ottoman
Empire, which emerged as a great power during the 14th century. Apart from
a period in the 15th century, when the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg
successfully resisted the Turkish armies, would they rule over Albania until
1912 when the great powers decided that Albania would become a independent
state. But it took several years until a stable central power could be created
in Albania 1925. In the meantime was Albania in a state of anarchy and rivalling
great powers set up small puppet states in Albanian territory. But the troubles
were not over after 1925 because Italy annexed the country in 1939 and it was
not until after World War Two when Albania definitely gained its independence.
Kingdom of Albania
(in the end it only controlled the town of Durrės with
surroundings)
House of Anjou
1272-1285
1285-1301
1301-1332
1332-1364
1364-1368
Carlo I
Carlo II
Filippo I
Roberto
Filippo II
1368-1382
1383-1385
1385-1388
1388-1392
Carlo Thopia
Balsa II
Carlo Thopia (restored)
Georgio Thopia
Durrės
is conquered by Venice 1392, which retained it to
1501 when it was conquered by the by the Ottoman Empire.
This had already conquered most of Albania in the 1380s.
1443-1468
Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg)
The Ottoman
Empire regains control over Albania in 1478,
ten years afterthe death of the rebel leader Skanderbeg.
Provisional government
Wilhelm zu Wied (king/prince)
Provisional government
Occupied by Austria-Hungary
Provisional government
Republic (Ahmed Zogu president)
Kingdom of Albania
1928-1939
1939-1943
1943-1944
Zog I (president 1925-1928)
Vittorio Emanuele III
Occupied by Germany
1946-1976
1976-1991
1991-
Peoples republic of Albania
Socialist Peoples Republic of Albania
Republic of Albania
