In the 15th century, Albanian national hero Skanderbeg fought back against the Turkish invaders. However, after his death and the fall of Krujas and Shkodra, the country came under four centuries of foreign rule. Large numbers of the population converted to Islam in the 16th and 17th century, allowing them to rise into the highest offices - eleven Grand Veziers came from Albania and Mohammed Ali founded a dynasty in Egypt in 1805. The Islamization brought support for the resistance against Serbs and Greek as well as against the Ottoman rule itself. Only at the end of the 19th century, the national renaissance began with the founding of the League of Prizren. During the First Balkans War in 1912, the Albanian national congress in Vlore declared the country's independence which was accepted by the major powers in 1913 upon the condition that Wilhelms of Wied would be accepted as Prince.
The outbreak of the Weltkrieg presented more problems for the country as Austria-Hungary demanded Albanian soldiers to fight alongside them. When Prince Wilhelm refused, citing the neutrality of Albania in the Treaty of London, the remuneration that he had been receiving was cut off. His regime collapsed and Prince Wilhelm left the country on 3 September 1914, and joined the Imperial German Army, despite formally remaining the Albanian Head Of State.
In 1921, the Peace with Honour officially determined the status of Albania: a restored principality under the authority of Prince Wilhelm within the Austrian sphere.
This all changed in 1924 when the June Revolution saw various Albanian nationalists, which included Avni Rrustemi and Ahmet Zogu amongst them, were able to successfully dethrone Wied and rid the nation of Austrian influence. The success of the revolution was heavily dependent upon Austrian internal reforms during the time, which left them unable to enforce their will within the Balkans.
This has culminated into the creation of the Republic of Albania, whereby the nation adopted a parliamentary system. A bicameral legislature made up of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, had been created during this time.
Following the revolution, two parties emerged: the Unity Party led by Avni Rrustemi and Fan Noli, which supports the transfer of power from the aristocracy to the common man alongside the redistribution of lands held by the aristocracy to the people, and the Progressive Party, led by Shefqet Vërlaci and Ahmet Zogu, which supports the maintenance of the current status-quo and the strengthening of the aristocracy.
With the fourth Albanian elections set to occur in 1936, the nation itself is very much politically polarized, with the members of the two parties, who had once worked together, now at each others’ throats in an attempt to gain power.
President of Albania: Shefqet Vërlaci (born 15 December 1877)
Prime Minister: Ahmet Zogu (born 8 October 1895)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Pandeli Evangjeli (born 6 January 1859)
Minister of Finance: Myfid Libohova (born 1876)
Minister of Internal Affairs and Director of Secret Police: Muharrem Bajraktari (born 15 May 1896)
Inspector General of the Military Department:
Commander-in-Chief of the Albanian Gendarmerie:
Commander-in-Chief of the Albanian Naval Forces:
Commander-in-Chief of the Albanian Army Air Service:
Albania has a very small army, usually used only to repress the occasional revolt and defend the nation from any potential attacks.
Because of the country's poor economy, Albania was never able to attempt naval or aviation programs, despite the presence of a decent airport and a good port in Tirana.
Friendly relations with Royalist Romania and Bulgaria.