Albanian Uprising of 1912

Albanian Uprising of 1912 

a general popular uprising which aimed at the liberation of Albania from Turkish rule. It was started in March among peasants in the mountainous areas of northern Albania and then spread to southern and central Albania, developing not only among the Christian (Catholic and Orthodox) population but among the Muslims as well. By mid-August, the insurgents had occupied Dibra, Elbasani, Përmeti, and a number of other Albanian cities. The democratic elements of the leadership of the uprising demanded complete independence for Albania. But the Albanian feudal lords (Hassan Prishtina and others) who led the uprising after May drew the insurgents into the domestic Turkish political struggle between the Union and Progress Party and the Freedom and Harmony Party; they betrayed the interests of the Albanian people, signing an agreement in Skoplje with the government of the Freedom and Harmony Party, which came to power in July 1912 (this government promised to satisfy certain of the Albanians’ national demands), and thereupon securing an end to the uprising.

REFERENCES

Senkevich, I. G. O svoboditel’noe dvizhenie albanskogo naroda ν 1905–1912 gg. Moscow, 1960.
Arsh, G. L., I. G. Senkevich, and N. D. Smirnova. Kratkaia istoriia Albanii. Moscow, 1965. Pages 164–70.