Editing Albania (section)

==== Independence ====
{{Main|Independent Albania}}
{{See also|Albanian Declaration of Independence}}
{{Further|Massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars}}

[[File:Ismail Qemali (portrait).jpg|thumb|right|175px|[[Ismail Qemali]] is regarded as the [[List of national founders#Albania|founding father]] of the modern Albanian nation.]]

Albania [[Albanian Declaration of Independence|declared independence]] from the Ottoman Empire on 28 November 1912, accompanied by the establishment of the [[Senate of Albania|Senate]] and [[Provisional Government of Albania|Government]] by the [[Assembly of Vlorë]] on 4 December 1912.<ref>{{cite book |last=Giaro |first=Tomasz |title=Modernisierung durch Transfer zwischen den Weltkriegen |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmrRCdTQBTcC&q=Provisional%20government%20of%20vlore%20december%204%201912&pg=PA185 |access-date=24 January 2011 |year=2007 |publisher=Vittorio Klosterman GmbH |location=Frankfurt am Main, Germany |isbn=978-3-465-04017-0 |page=185 |chapter=The Albanian legal and constitutional system between the World Wars |quote=From its own members congress elected a senate (Pleqësi), composed of 18 members, which assumed advisory role to the government.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1920.html |title=Ismail Kemal bey Vlora: Memoirs |first=Ismail |last=Qemali |access-date=23 January 2011 |quote=15th–28th November 1912&nbsp;... |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617232905/http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1920.html |archive-date=17 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1920.html |title=Ismail Kemal bey Vlora: Memoirs |first=Ismail |last=Qemali |access-date=23 January 2011 |quote=On the resumption of the sitting, I was elected President of the Provisional Government, with a mandate to form a Cabinet&nbsp;... |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617232905/http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1920.html |archive-date=17 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Giaro |first=Tomasz |title=Modernisierung durch Transfer zwischen den Weltkriegen |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmrRCdTQBTcC&q=Provisional%20government%20of%20vlore%20december%204%201912&pg=PA185 |access-date=24 January 2011 |year=2007 |publisher=Vittorio Klosterman GmbH |location=Frankfurt am Main, Germany |isbn=978-3-465-04017-0 |page=185 |chapter=The Albanian legal and constitutional system between the World Wars |quote=a provisional government, consisting of ten members and led by Vlora, was formed on 4 December.}}</ref> Its sovereignty was recognised by the [[London Conference of 1912–1913|Conference of London]]. On 29 July 1913, the [[Treaty of London (1913)|Treaty of London]] delineated the borders of the country and its neighbors, leaving many Albanians outside Albania, predominantly [[Partition (politics)|partitioned]] between [[Kingdom of Montenegro|Montenegro]], [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]], and [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Elsie |first=Robert |title=1913 The Conference of London |url=http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1913_2.html |access-date=5 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717005551/http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1913_2.html |archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref>

Headquartered in Vlorë, the [[International Commission of Control]] was established on 15 October 1913 to take care of the administration of Albania until its own political institutions were in order.<ref>{{Citation |last=Jelavich |first=Barbara |title=History of the Balkans: Twentieth century |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hd-or3qtqrsC&pg=PA100 |access-date=21 January 2011 |volume=2 |orig-year=1983 |year=1999 |publisher=The Press Syndicate of University of Cambridge |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |isbn=978-0-521-27459-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofbalkans0000jela/page/101 101] |chapter=The end of Ottoman rule in Europe |quote=the International Commission&nbsp;... had headquarters in Vlorë |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofbalkans0000jela/page/101}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cecl.gr/RigasNetwork/databank/REPORTS/r23/ZAHARIA.html |title=The post – 1989 constitutional course of south east Europe |last=Zaharia |first=Perikli |date=24 March 2003 |publisher=Centre for European Constitutional Law |location=Athens |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616151647/http://www.cecl.gr/RigasNetwork/databank/REPORTS/r23/ZAHARIA.html |archive-date=16 June 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=22 January 2011}}</ref> The [[International Gendarmerie]] was established as the [[Principality of Albania]]'s first law enforcement agency. In November, the first gendarmerie members arrived in the country. Prince of Albania [[Wilhelm of Wied]] ''(Princ Vilhelm Vidi)'' was selected as the first prince of the principality.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Seton-Watson |first1=R.W. |last2=Wilson |first2=J. Dover |last3=Zimmern |first3=Alfred E. |last4=Greenwood |first4=Arthur |title=The War and Democracy |chapter-url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10668/10668.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113042806/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10668/10668.txt |archive-date=13 November 2012 |date=10 January 2004 |orig-year=1915 |publisher=MacMillan |edition=1st |location=London |chapter=III Germany |quote=Prince William of Wied, the first Prince of Albania}}</ref> On 7 March, he arrived in the provisional capital of [[Durrës]] and began to organise his government, appointing [[Turhan Pasha Përmeti]] to form the first Albanian cabinet.

In November 1913, the Albanian pro-Ottoman forces had offered the throne of Albania to the Ottoman war minister of Albanian origin, [[Ahmed Izzet Pasha]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm.html |title=Albania under prince Wied |first=Robert |last=Elsie |author-link=Robert Elsie |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003848/http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm.html |quote=pro-Ottoman forces&nbsp;... were opposed to the increasing Western influence&nbsp;... In November 1913, these forces,&nbsp;... had offered the vacant Albanian throne to General Izzet Pasha&nbsp;... War Minister who was of Albanian origin. |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 January 2011}}</ref> The pro-Ottoman peasants believed that the new regime was a tool of the six Christian [[Great Power]]s and local landowners, who owned half of the arable land.<ref>{{Citation |last=Jelavich |first=Barbara |title=History of the Balkans: Twentieth century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hd-or3qtqrsC&pg=PA100 |access-date=25 January 2011 |volume=2 |orig-year=1983 |year=1999 |publisher=The Press Syndicate of University of Cambridge |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |isbn=978-0-521-27459-3 |page=103 |quote=peasants..willing listeners to Ottoman propaganda&nbsp;... attached the new regime as a tool of the beys and Christian powers}}</ref>

In February 1914, the [[Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus]] was proclaimed in [[Gjirokastër]] by the local [[Greeks in Albania|Greek population]] against incorporation to Albania. This initiative was short-lived, and in 1921 the southern provinces were incorporated into the Albanian Principality.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bowden|first1=William|title=Epirus Vetus : the archaeology of a late antique province |date=2003 |publisher=Duckworth |location=London |isbn=978-0-7156-3116-4 |page=28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IjsbAAAAYAAJ&q=%22+Autonomous+Republic+of+Northern+Epirus.%22 |quote=the Greek Epirote population of the area refused to be incorporated into the new Albanian state and in February 1914 declared the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus&nbsp;... in 1921 Albania was recognised as an independent sovereign state, with its borders established on their present lines.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=ed|first1=Gregory C. Ference|title=Chronology of 20th century eastern European history |date=1994|publisher=Gale Research|location=Detroit [u.a.]|isbn=978-0-8103-8879-6|page=9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RSLsAAAAMAAJ|quote=February 28 George Zographos, a former foreign minister of Greece, proclaims at Gjirokaster the establishment of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus, with Zographos as president. He notifies the International Commission that his government has been established because the Great Powers have not provided the Greeks in southern Albania any guarantees for the protection of the life, property and religious freedom, and ethnic existence.}}</ref> Meanwhile, the [[Peasant Revolt in Albania|revolt of Albanian peasants]] against the new regime erupted under the leadership of the group of Muslim clerics gathered around [[Essad Pasha Toptani]], who proclaimed himself the savior of Albania and Islam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albaniainbrief.com/Albanian%20History/Fighting%20for%20amputated%20Albania.htm |title=The Efforts to settle amputated Albania state |publisher=albaniainbrief.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601023209/http://albaniainbrief.com/Albanian%20History/Fighting%20for%20amputated%20Albania.htm |archive-date=1 June 2011 |url-status=usurped |access-date=28 January 2011 |quote=Thousands of muslim peasants,&nbsp;... were exploited by their leaders Haxhi Qamili, Arif Hiqmeti, Musa Qazimi and Mustafa Ndroqi,&nbsp;... to rebel}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Vickers |first=Miranda |title=The Albanians: a modern history |publisher=I.B. Tauris |year=1999 |quote=He gathered round him a group of discontented Muslim priests&nbsp;... and proclaimed himself the savior of Albania and the Champion of Islam. |page=81 |isbn=978-1-86064-541-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IzI0uOZ2j6gC}}</ref> To gain the support of the [[Mirdita]] Catholic volunteers from northern Albania, Prince [[Wilhelm of Wied|Wied]] appointed their leader, [[Prênk Bibë Doda]], foreign minister of the Principality of Albania. In May and June 1914, the International Gendarmerie was joined by [[Isa Boletini]] and his men, mostly from [[Kosovo]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm.html |title=Albania under prince Wied |first=Robert |last=Elsie |author-link=Robert Elsie |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003848/http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm.html |quote=mostly volunteers from Kosova under their leader Isa Boletini |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 January 2011}}</ref> and the rebels defeated northern [[Mirdita]] Catholics, capturing most of Central Albania by the end of August 1914.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm.html |title=Albania under prince Wied |first=Robert |last=Elsie |author-link=Robert Elsie |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003848/http://www.albanianphotography.net/en/dmm.html |quote=Panic broke out in Durrës, and the royal family sought refuge on an Italian vessel&nbsp;... |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 January 2011}}</ref> Prince Wied's regime collapsed, and he left the country on 3 September 1914.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Springer |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Kammerhofer |first2=Leopold |title=Archiv und Forschung |publisher=Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag |year=1993 |page=346 |isbn=978-3-486-55989-7}}</ref>