Editing History of Albania (section)

=== June Revolution ===
{{Main|June Revolution (Albania)}}

[[File:Fan S. Noli.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fan S. Noli]]|160px]]
[[File:Kabineti Ypi (1921).jpg|thumb|Albanian cabinet in January 1922. The individuals in the photograph from left to right are: Mehmet Konica, Albanian delegate to the League of Nations; Spiro J. Koleka, Minister of Public Works; Fan S. Noli, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ismail H. Tatzati, Minister of War; Xhafer Ypi, Prime Minister; Ahmed Zogu, Minister of the Interior; Hysen Vrioni, Minister of Justice; Kole Thaci, Minister of Finance. Courtesy of the General Directorate of the Albanian Archives, Tirana, Albania.]]
[[File:Fan Noli and Avni Rustemi.png|thumb|Fan Noli and Avni Rustemi taking a photo in Rome]]
[[Fan S. Noli|Noli]]'s supporters blamed the [[Avni Rustemi|Rustemi]] murder on Zogu's Mati clansmen, who continued to practice blood vengeance. After the walkout, discontent mounted, and in June 1924 a peasant-backed insurgency had won control of Tirana. Because few people were willing to risk their lives in its defense, the government's fall was remarkably simple and entailed practically little violence. According to US estimates, 20 people were killed and 35 were injured in the northern theatre, while 6 people were killed and 15 were injured in the southern theater. In fact, only Zogu and his meagre group put up any resistance at all. However, fundamental concerns remained unanswered, and Noli's power grab was unstable to say the least.<ref>{{cite book |title=Founding a Balkan State: Albania's Experiment with Democracy, 1920–1925 |publisher=ROBERT C. AUSTIN |isbn=978-1-4426-9973-1 |pages=262 |jstor=10.3138/j.ctt2tv0q6 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3138/j.ctt2tv0q6|last1=Austin |first1=Robert C. |year=2012 }}</ref> A far more unified group than Noli's was required to execute a new order; it also required crucial political and financial backing from overseas, as well as talented lawmakers prepared to make the necessary sacrifices and concessions. Noli formed his own administration, a small cabinet, on 16 June 1924, with representatives from all factions involved in the June rebellion, including the army, beys, liberals, progressives, and the Shkodra lobby. [[Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo|The Kosovo Committee]] was not a part of the government. The government cabinet consisted of:

*[[Fan Noli]] – Prime Minister
*[[Sulejman Delvina]]- Minister of Foreign Affairs
*[[Luigj Gurakuqi]] – Minister of Finance
*[[:sq:Stavro Vinjau|Stavro Vinjau]] – Minister of Education
*[[:sq:Kasem Qafëzezi|Kasëm Qafëzezi]] – Minister of War
*[[:sq:Rexhep Shala|Rexhep Shala]] – Minister of Interior
*[[Qazim Koculi]] – Minister of Agriculture
*[[Xhemal Bushati]] – Minister without portfolio

Fan Noli, an idealist, rejected demands for new elections on the grounds that Albania needed a "paternal" government. On 19 June, Noli's coalition administration proposed a twenty-point reform program that, if completed, would have resulted in a country-wide revolution. Jacques calls the program "too radical," Austin calls it "a really ambitious program, ....had it been implemented, it would have led to a revolutionary change of country," and Fischer writes, "Every Western Democrat would be proud of Noli's program, but the Prime Minister lacked two crucial elements, without which no one could carry out such a long series of radical reforms: financial support and support from the governmental cabinet."<ref>{{cite web |title="FAN S. NOLI NË 130 – VJETORIN E LINDJES" 1882–2012 KONFERENCA SHKENCORE NDËRKOMBËTARE |url=http://www.unkorce.edu.al/sites/default/files/fakulteti_edukimit/materiali_fnoli_130vjetor.pdf |access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-date=6 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706213840/http://www.unkorce.edu.al/sites/default/files/fakulteti_edukimit/materiali_fnoli_130vjetor.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Noli went on to say that once normalcy was restored, a national election would be held with secret and direct voting to decide the people's support. Noli planned to rule by decree for ten to twelve months, believing that the country's past elections did not reflect the desires of the Albanian people. Noli subsequently stated that his party "had the majority when we put the agrarian reforms on our programme. When it came to putting them in place, we were in the minority." The takeover of wealthy owners' property, particularly in central Albania, would be the principal source of additional land for the peasants. Each farmer was to receive 4–6 hectares of land for a household of up to 10 individuals. Families with more than 10 members would receive eight hectares of land.

Scaling back the bureaucracy, strengthening local government, assisting peasants, throwing Albania open to foreign investment, and improving the country's bleak transportation, public health, and education facilities filled out the Noli government's overly ambitious agenda. Noli encountered resistance to his program from people who had helped him oust Zogu, and he never attracted the foreign aid necessary to carry out his reform plans. Noli criticized the League of Nations for failing to settle the threat facing Albania on its land borders.

Under Fan Noli, the government set up a special tribunal that passed death sentences, in absentia, on Zogu, Verlaci, and others and confiscated their property.

In Yugoslavia Zogu recruited a mercenary army, and [[Belgrade]] furnished the Albanian leader with weapons, about 1,000 Yugoslav army regulars, and [[White Emigre|Russian White Emigres]] to mount an invasion that the Serbs hoped would bring them disputed areas along the border. After Noli decided to establish diplomatic relations with the [[Soviet Union]], a bitter enemy of the Serbian ruling family, Belgrade began making wild allegations that Albania was about to embrace Bolshevism.

On 13 December 1924, Zogu's Yugoslav-backed army crossed into Albanian territory. By Christmas Eve, Zogu had reclaimed the capital, and Noli and his government had fled to Italy. The Noli government lasted just 6 months and a week.