History
> Chronology of Events
1225 B.C.
Earliest
known Illyrian king, Hyllus, dies.
Fourth
Century B.C.
King
Bardhylus unites Illyria, Molossia (Epirus) and
part of Macedonia. The Illyrian kingdom reaches
its peak.
358
B.C.
Illyrians
are defeated by Philip II of Macedonia.
312
B.C.
King
Glauk of Illyria expels Greeks from Durrës.
232
B.C.
King
Agron dies, the Illyrian throne is occupied by
Queen Teuta.
165
B.C.
Romans
capture King Gent of Illyria and send him to Rome.
Illyria is now under Roman control.
First
Century A.D.
Christianity
comes to Illyrian populated areas.
9
A.D.
Emperor
Tiberius of Rome subjugates the Illyrians and
divides present day Albania between Dalmatia,
Epirus, and Macedonia.
395
A.D.
Division
of Roman Empire leaves lands presently inhabited
by Albanians under the administration of the Eastern
Empire.
Fourth
Century - Seventh Century
Goths,
Huns, Avars, Serbs, Croats, and Bulgars successively
invade Illyrian lands.
Eighth
Century
Slav
tribes settle into the territories of present-day
Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia,
and assimilate the Illyrian populations of these
regions. The Illyrians in the south avert assimilation.
732
Illyrians
are subordinated to the patriarchate of Constantinople
by the Byzantine Emperor, Leo the Isaurian.
1054
Christianity
divides into Catholic and Orthodox churches. Christians
in southern Albania are left under the ecumenical
patriarch of Constantinople and those in the
north under the pope in Rome.
1081
Albania
and Albanians are mentioned for the first time
in a historical record, by Byzantine emperor.
Twelfth
Century
Serbs
occupy parts of northern and eastern Albanian
inhabited lands.
1204
Venice
wins control over most of Albania, but Byzantines
regain control of the southern portion and establish
the Despotate of Epirus.
1272
Forces
of the King of Naples occupy Durrës and establish
the Kingdom of Arbëria, the first Albanian
kingdom since the fall of Illyria.
1385
Albanian
ruler of Durrës invites Ottoman forces to
intervene against a rival.
1389
Albanians
join Serbian-led Balkan army that is defeated
by Ottoman forces at the Battle of Kosova.
1403
Gjergj
Kastrioti is born.
1443
After
losing a battle near Nis, Skenderbeg with a group
of Albanian warriors defect from the Ottoman army
and return to Kruja.
1444
Albanian
principalities unite at Lezha under Skenderbeg,
who is proclaimed chief of Albanian resistance.
1449
Albanians,
under Skenderbeg, rout Ottoman forces under Sultan
Murat II.
1468
Skenderbeg
dies.
1478
Kruja
falls to Ottoman Turks; Shkodra falls a year later.
Subsequently, many Albanians flee to southern
Italy, Greece, Egypt, and elsewhere; many remaining
are forced to convert to Islam.
Early
Seventeenth Century
Some
Albanians who convert to Islam find careers in
Ottoman Empire's government and military.
Seventeenth
Century and Eighteenth Century
About
two-thirds of Albanians convert to Islam.
1822
Albanian
leader Ali Pasha of Tepelena assassinated by Ottoman
agents for promoting autonomy.
1830
1000
Albanian leaders invited to meet with Ottoman
general who kills about half of them.
1835
Ottoman
Porte divides Albanian-populated lands into vilayets
of Janina, Manastir, Shkodra, and Kosova with
Ottoman administrators.
1861
First
school known to use Albanian language in modern
times is open in Shkodra.
1877-78
Treaty
of San Stefano, signed after Russo-Turkish War,
assigned Albanian-populated lands to Bulgaria,
Montenegro and Serbia; but Austria-Hungary and
Britain block the treaty's implementation. Albanian
leaders meet in Prizren, Kosova, to form the League
of Prizren. The League initially advocated autonomy
for Albania. At the Congress of Berlin, the Great
Powers overturn the Treaty of San Stefano and
divide Albanian lands among several states. The
League of Prizren begins to organize resistance
to the Treaty of Berlin's provisions that affect
Albanians.
1881
Ottoman
forces crush Albanian resistance fighters at Prizren.
The League's leaders and families are arrested
and deported.
1897
Ottoman
authorities disband a reactivated League of Prizren,
execute its leader and ban Albanian language books.
1908
Albanian
intellectuals meet in Manastir (Bitolja, Macedonia),
at the Congress of Manastir to standardize the
Albanian alphabet using the Latin script. Up to
now, Latin, Cyrillic and Arabic script had been
used.
1912
May.
Albanians rise against the Ottoman authorities
and seize Shkup (Skopje, Macedonia).
October.
First Balkan War begins, and Albanian leaders
affirm Albania as an independent state.
November.
Albanian delegates at Vlora declare the independence
of Albania and establish a provisional government.
December.
Ambassadorial conference opens in London and discusses
Albania's fate.
1913
May.
Treaty of London ends First Balkan War, Second
Balkan War begins
November.
Treaty of Bucharest ends Second Balkan War. Great
Powers recognize an independent Albanian state.
Demographics are ignored, however, and half of
the territories inhabited by Albanians (such as
Kosova and Chameria) are divided among Montenegro,
Serbia and Greece.
1914
Prince
Wilhelm of Wied is installed as head of the Albanian
state by the International Control Commission.
His rule ended within six months, with the outbreak
of World War I.
1918
World
War I ends, with Italian armies occupying most
of Albania, and Serbian, Greek and French armies
occupying the remainder. Italian and Yugoslav
powers begin struggle for dominance over Albanians.
In December, Albanian leaders meet at Durrës
to discuss Albania's interests at the Paris Peace
Conference.
1919
Serbs
attack Albanian cities; Albanians adopt guerilla
warfare. Albania is denied official representation
at the Paris Peace Conference; British, French
and Greek negotiators decide to divide Albania
among Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia. This decision
is vetoed by American president Wilson.
1920
January.
Albanian leaders meet in Lushnjë and reject
the partitioning of Albania by the Treaty of Paris,
warn that Albanians will take up arms in defence
of territory, and creates bicameral parliament.
February.
Albanian government moves to Tirana, which becomes
the capital.
September.
Albania forces Italy to withdraw its troops and
abandon claims on Albanian territory.
December.
Albania is admitted to the League of Nations as
sovereign and independent state.
1921
November.
Yugoslav troops invade Albania; League of Nations
commission forces Yugoslav withdrawal and reaffirms
Albania's 1913 borders.
December.
Popular Party, led by Xhafer Ypi, forms government
with Ahmet Zogu as minister of internal affairs.
1922
August.
Ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople recognizes
the Autochephalous Albanian Orthodox Church.
September.
Ahmet Zogu assumes position as Prime Minister.
1923
Albania's
Sunni Muslims break ties with Constantinople and
pledge primary allegiance to native country.
1924
March.
Zogu's party wins elections for National Assembly,
but Zogu steps down after a financial scandal
and a assassination attempt.
July.
A peasant-backed insurgency wins control of Tirana;
Fan S. Noli becomes Prime Minister; Zogu flees
to Yugoslavia.
December.
Zogu, backed by Yugoslav army, returns to power
and begins to smother parliamentary democracy;
Noli flees to Italy.
1926
Italy
and Albania sign First Treaty of Tirana, which
guarantees Zogu's political position and Albania's
boundaries.
1928
Zogu
pressures the parliament to dissolve itself, a
new constituent assembly declares Albania a kingdom
and Zogu becomes Zog I, "King of the Albanians."
1931
Zog
refuses to renew the First Treaty of Tirana. Italians
continue with political and economic pressure.
1934
After
Albania signs trade agreements with Greece and
Yugoslavia, Italy suspends economic support, then
attempts to threaten Albania.
1935
Mussolini
presents a gift of 3,000,000 gold frances to Albania;
other economic aid follows.
1939
March.
Mussolini delivers ultimatum to Albania.
April.
Mussolini's troops invade and occupy Albania;
Albanian parliament votes to unite Albania with
Italy; Zog flees to Greece.
1940
Italian
army attacks Greece through Albania.
1941
April.
Germany, with support of Italy and other allies
defeat Greece and Yugoslavia.
October.
Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist leader, directs
organizing of Albanian communists.
November.
Albanian Communist Party founded; Enver Hoxha
becomes first secretary.
1942
September.
Communist Party organizes National Liberation
Movement, a popular front resistance organization.
October.
Non-communist nationalist groups form to resist
the Italian occupation.
1943
August.
Italy's surrender to Allied forces weakens Italian
hold on Albania; Albanian resistance fighters
overwhelm five Italian divisions.
September.
German forces invade and occupy Albania.
1944
January.
Communist Partisans, supplied with British weapons,
gain control of southern Albania.
May.
Communists meet to organize an Albanian government;
Hoxha becomes chairman of executive committee
and supreme commander of the Army of National
Liberation.
July.
Communist forces enter central and northern Albania.
October.
Communists establish provisional government with
Hoxha as prime minister.
November.
Germans withdraw from Tirana, communists enter
capital.
December.
Communist provisional government adopts laws allowing
state regulation of commercial enterprises, foreign
and domestic trade.
1945
January.
Communist provisional government agrees to restore
Kosova to Yugoslavia as an autonomous region;
Yugoslav leaders bring Kosova under marshal law.
Tribunals begin in Albania to condemn thousands
of "war criminals" and "enemies
of the people" to death or prison. Communist
regime begins to nationalize industry, transportation,
forests, pastures.
December.
Elections are held for the People's Assembly.
Only members of the Democratic Front are permitted
to participate.
1946
People's
Assembly proclaims Albania a "people's republic";
purges of non-communists from government positions
begins. People's Assembly adopts new constitution.
Enver Hoxha becomes prime minister, defense minister,
foreign minister and commander-in-chief.
July.
Treaty of friendship signed with Yugoslavia; Yugoslav
advisors and grain begin pouring into Albania.
October.
British destroyers hit mines off Albania's coast.
The United Nations and the International Court
of Justice condemn Albania.
1948
Albanian
Communist Party leaders vote to merge Albanian
and Yugoslav economies and militaries.
June.
Cominform expels Yugoslavia; Albanian leaders
launch anti-Yugoslav propaganda campaign, cut
economic ties, and force Yugoslav advisors to
leave. Later on the treaty of friendship with
Yugoslavia is abrogated; Hoxha begins purging
high-ranking party members accused of "Titoism";
Soviet Union begins economic aid to Albania.
November.
Communist Party of Albania renames itself the
Party of Labor of Albania.
1950
Britain
and United States insert anti-communist guerillas
into Albania; all are unsuccessful.
1955
Albania
becomes a founding member of the Warsaw Pact.
1960
Albania
sides with China on Sino-Soviet ideological dispute;
consequently Soviet economic support is curtailed
and Chinese aid is increased.
1961
Soviet
Union breaks diplomatic relations, Albania looks
towards China for support.
1967
Hoxha
regime conducts violent campaign to extinguish
religious life in Albania; by year's end over
two thousand religious buildings were closed or
converted to other uses. Albania is declared "the
world's first atheist country," religious
leaders are imprisoned and executed.
1968
Albania
condemns Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia,
subsequently Albania withdraws from Warsaw Pact.
1974
New
constitution adopted in Yugoslavia. Autonomous
units, including Kosova, become constituent members
of the federation.
1976
New
constitution adopted. Albania becomes a "people's
socialist republic."
1978
China
terminates all economic and military aid to Albania.
1981
Massive
demonstrations occur in Kosova. Demonstrators
demand Kosova become a republic in Yugoslavia.
Yugoslav police and army presence is increased
in Kosova.
1985
Enver
Hoxha dies. Ramiz Alia is his successor.
1989
Alia,
addressing the Eighth Plenum of the Central Committee,
signals that radical changes to the economic system
are necessary.
In
Yugoslavia, a new constitution is adopted in Serbia,
which limits the autonomy of Kosova. The constitution
passes without the approval of the parliament
of Kosova.
1990
January.
Demonstrations at Shkodra force authorities to
declare a state of emergency.
July.
Young people demonstrate against regime in Tirana,
5,000 citizens seek refuge in foreign embassies.
Albanian delegates of the parliament of Kosova
declare the independence of Kosova from Serbia.
Subsequently Serbia abolishes the parliament and
government of Kosova, closes down the only Albanian
daily, and takes over the state-owned television
and radio.
August.
Government abandons its monopoly on foreign commerce
and begins to open Albania to foreign trade.
December.
University students demonstrate in streets and
call for dictatorship to end; Alia meets with
students; multiparty system introduced; the Democratic
Party, the first opposition party is established;
regime authorizes political pluralism.
1991
January.
First opposition newspaper Rilindja Demokratike
begins publishing.
March-April.
First multiparty elections held since the 1920s;
Labor Party wins over 67 percent of votes, Democratic
Party wins around 30 percent.
April.
Alia reelected to President. Assembly passes law
on Major Constitutional Provisions which provides
for fundamental human rights and separation of
powers and invalidates the 1976 constitution.
June.
Prime Minister Fatos Nano and rest of cabinet
resign after trade unions call for general strike
to protest worsening economic conditions and killing
of opposition demonstrators in Shkodra. Party
of Labor renamed to Socialist Party of Albania.
Albania accepted as a full member of the CSCE.
August.
18,000 Albanians cross the Adriatic to seek asylum
in Italy; most are returned. People's Assembly
passes law allowing private ownership, foreign
investment and private employment of workers.
September.
A referendum is held in Kosova. Over 90 percent
of voters vote for independence.
December.
Democratic Party withdraws ministers after accusing
communists of blocking reform. Alia sets up new
government headed by Vilson Ahmeti and sets March
1992 for new elections.
1992
March. Democratic Party scores decisive election
victory over the Socialist Party in the midst
of economic freefall and social chaos. Elections
are held in Kosova; the Democratic League of Kosova
wins the majority of votes; the elections are
called illegal by the Serbian regime.
April. Sali Berisha, leader of the Democratic
Party, becomes first democratically elected president.
September. Former President Alia and eighteen
other former communist officials, including Nexhmije
Hoxha, wife of late dictator Hoxha, arrested and
charged with corruption and other offenses.
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