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TheItalian colonists in Albania (Albanian:Kolonistët italianë në Shqipëri,Italian:Coloni italiani in Albania) wereItalians who,between the two World Wars, moved toAlbania to colonize theBalkan country for theKingdom of Italy.
Albania had held strategic importance for Italy since theRenaissance, when theRepublic of Venice controlled some areas of the Albanian coast (calledAlbania Veneta). In addition,southern Italy containedAlbanian-speaking communities (Arbëreshë people), who had taken refuge there from theOttoman invasion of Albania during theSkanderbeg era, and who were favorable to a possible union of Albania and Italy.
At the end of the 19th century, Italian naval strategists eyed the port ofVlorë (Valona in Italian) and the island ofSazan (Saseno) at the entrance to theBay of Vlorë. The port would give Italy control of the entrance to theAdriatic Sea.[1] Also, Albania could provide Italy with a beachhead in the Balkans. BeforeWorld War I, Italy andAustria-Hungary had been instrumental in the creation of anindependent Albanian state. At the outbreak of war in 1915, Italy seized the chance to occupy the southern half of Albania, to prevent the Austro-Hungarians from capturing it. That success did not last long, aspost-war domestic problems, defeat in theVlora War, and pressure fromU.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson, forced Italy to pull out in 1920.[2] But Italy retained the island of Sazan, in front of Vlorë, that was annexed to theProvince of Zara inItalian Dalmatia.
WhenBenito Mussolinitook power in Italy, he turned with renewed interest to Albania. Italy began penetratingAlbania's economy in 1925, when Albania agreed to allow it to exploit its mineral resources.[3] That was followed by theFirst Treaty of Tirana in 1926 and theSecond Treaty of Tirana in 1927, whereby Italy and Albania entered into a defensive alliance.[3] Italian loans subsidized theAlbanian government and economy, andItalian military instructors trained theAlbanian army. Italian colonial settlement was encouraged and the first 300 Italian colonists settled in Albania.[4]
Despite this strong Italian influence,King Zog ofAlbania refused to give in completely to Italian pressure.[5] In 1931, he openly stood up to the Italians by refusing to renew the 1926 Treaty of Tirana.
Fascist Italy increased pressure on Albania in the 1930s and, on 7 April 1939,invaded Albania,[6] five months before thestart ofWorld War II. TheAlbanian armed resistance proved ineffective and, after a short defense, Italy occupied the country. On 9 April 1939, King Zog fled toGreece,[7] and Albania ceased to exist as an independent country. The Balkan country became a component of theItalian Empire and was turned into an Italianpuppet state. Albania was designed for eventual colonization andItalianization.
The throne was claimed byKingVictor Emmanuel III of Italy,[7] who was the official ruler ofAlbania until his abdication on 25 July 1943. The country was led by Italian governors and an Albanian civil government.[7]
From April 1939,Albanian foreign affairs, customs, as well as natural resources came under direct control of Italy. Allpetroleum resources in Albania went throughAgip, Italy's state petroleum company.[8]
The puppetAlbanian Fascist Party became the ruling party of the country and the localfascists, likePrime MinisterShefqet Vërlaci, allowed Italian citizens to settle in Albania and to own land so that they could gradually transform it into Italian soil. Vërlaci (who had distant Italian roots) approved the possible administrative union of Albania and Italy, because he wanted Italian support for the union ofKosovo, SouthernEpirus (Chameria), and other Albanianirredentist areas with the state of Albania, creating aGreater Albania. Indeed, this unification was partially realised after theAxis defeat ofYugoslavia and Greece in spring 1941 and the expansion of Albania intoMacedonia, Kosovo,Novi Pazar andMontenegro.
Italian citizens began to settle in Albania ascolonists and to own land so that they could gradually transform it into Italian soil.[9]
The Italian colonists and the Italian "assimilation" were more or less welcomed in spring 1939, and were greeted by mostAlbanians when Albania was enlarged two years later. But in November 1941, they started to face contrary manifestations and the resistance of some Albanians, organized mainly by theCommunist Party ofEnver Hoxha.[10]
The process of colonization began in 1926 with 300 colonists.[11] The first Italians to colonise Albania were fishing families fromApulia, who moved to the island of Sazan opposite Vlorë in 1918. The island was officially part of Italy from the end of World War I to 1947.
In 1926, the Italian government, in agreement with Albanian authorities, sent 300 Italian colonists toKamëz, nearTirana, to promote agricultural development.
Most of the Italians were farmers from Arbëreshë communities in southern Italy. They were initially successful, and created the companyEnte industria agraria albanese with an agricultural school, but the regime of King Zog expelled them in 1931, fearing excessive Italian influence in Albanian society and politics.
After the occupation of Albania in April 1939, Mussolini sent nearly 11,000 Italian colonists to Albania. Most of them were from theVeneto region andSicily. They settled primarily in the areas ofDurrës,Vlorë,Shkodër,Porto Palermo,Elbasan andSarandë. They were the first settlers of a huge group of Italians to be moved to Albania.[12]
In addition to these colonists, 22,000 Italian casual laborers went to Albania in April 1940 to construct roads, railways and infrastructure.[8]
Most of the 1939 colonists were men enrolled in the so-calledAlbanian Militia. This organization was an Albanianfascistparamilitary group, part of theBlackshirts. Later even Albanians were recruited in the group. It was headquartered in Tirana and consisted of four legions in Tirana,Korçë, Vlorë and Shkodër. The Albanian Militia was disbanded in 1943 following thefall of Italy in World War II.[13]
No Italian colonists remain in Albania. The few who remained under thecommunist regime of Enver Hoxha fled (with their descendants) to Italy in 1992.[14]
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