THE UNCOMFORTABLE SHAPING OF A BALKAN COUNTRY: THE DIPLOMATIC ROUTE TO ALBANIA’S INDEPENDENCE (1919-1920)

The end of the Great War did not mean a return to a state of peace for most of Europe. For what it concerns Albania, the situation on the ground seemed rather confused despite the presence of Italian occupation forces. The occupation of Albania was in fact reserved for Italy, the only exception being Shkodra, for which international management was envisaged. Despite this, Serbian troops were already established in the north; a question that eventually led to some incidents and presaged further problems with the Yugoslavs. Moreover, the various factions in Albania were unable to agree on the future of their country. By 1920, a widespread conflict and the progressive Albanian opposition to the Italians led eventually to open clash and the recognition of Albania’s independence, which however for many years would be threatened by interference from neighboring countries. This paper intends to explore the stages of the formation of an Albanian independent government in the period between 1919 and 1920, focusing in particular on the role of the main diplomatic actors, both at bilateral level and at the Paris Peace Conference, where the conflicting ambitions of Great and smaller Powers so often clashed with each other.