On March 28, 1939, Italy issued an ultimatum to Albania, demanding control over key strategic locations, permission for Italian farmers to settle with full Albanian citizenship rights, and the implementation of a customs union. The Albanian government, keeping the ultimatum secret, responded with a counterproposal on April 5, but Italy rejected this and commenced its invasion on April 7, 1939—Good Friday. Though there was minimal organized resistance, individual Albanian soldiers, sailors, and civilians did attempt to resist. One of the more notable efforts delayed the Italian advance from the port city of Durrës to the capital, Tirana. However, by April 10, the majority of Albania was under Italian control, with key cities such as Durrës, Tirana, Shkodër, and Gjirokastër falling quickly. Albania’s King Zog fled the country as the Italian forces took over.
On April 12, a constituent assembly, composed of individuals who had already been in secret communication with the Italian embassy in Tirana, declared King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy as the new King of Albania. Francesco Jacomoni, the former Italian ambassador to Albania, was appointed as the king’s lieutenant. Shefqey bey Verlaci became the head of a new Albanian government, which immediately signed a series of agreements with Jacomoni that effectively abolished Albania’s parliament and independent diplomatic relations. The Albanian army was dissolved, and the two nations were officially unified under Italian control.
At the time, this invasion was perceived in the West as part of a larger Axis strategy involving both Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. However, it has since been revealed that Mussolini’s invasion of Albania was more of a reaction to Germany’s annexation of Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939. This event marked the collapse of Western powers’ appeasement policies, and Mussolini sought a quick victory to assert Italian power. Albania, politically and economically weakened, was seen as an easy target, and its capture provided Italy with a strategic base for its subsequent invasion of Greece in October 1940.
The Italian Occupation of Albania (1939-1943)
Italy’s occupation of Albania lasted from April 7, 1939, until Italy’s surrender to the Allies on September 8, 1943. During this period, Albania and Italy were closely integrated. The Albanian and Italian armed forces were merged, and King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy was declared the new monarch of Albania after King Zog fled. Italians took control of key towns and strategic locations, and former ambassador Francesco Jacomoni was appointed as the country’s governor. Economically, the two countries were also unified, with customs duties between them abolished and Italians free to settle in Albania.
When Italy launched its invasion of Greece on October 28, 1940, Albania became the main base for Italian military operations. Albanian forces, now part of the joint Italian-Albanian army, were sent to the front, though some Albanian soldiers refused to fight and were consequently imprisoned in concentration camps, such as the one in Shijak. Although Italy initially advanced into Greece, the Greek army soon pushed Italian forces back, and Greek troops eventually entered Albanian territory.
Following the German invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, Yugoslavia was partitioned, and areas with significant Albanian populations were handed over to Italy and integrated into Albania. While most Albanians welcomed the expansion of territory, particularly the addition of Kosovo, they remained deeply resentful of the union with Italy. Economically, Albania benefited from Italian investments in infrastructure, such as road construction, and from the addition of more agriculturally favorable lands in Kosovo. However, opposition to Italian rule grew, with strikes in Shkodër, protests in Korçë, and the rise of a partisan resistance movement.
After Italy capitulated to the Allies in September 1943, the Italian occupation officially ended. Nevertheless, thousands of Italian soldiers remained in Albania, with many either being captured by German forces or managing to evade capture by disguising themselves as civilians, some even joining the Albanian resistance. This period of occupation and its aftermath are vividly captured in literary works such as The General of the Dead Army by Ismail Kadare and Albania’s National Liberation Struggle: The Bitter Victory by Reginald Hibbert.
Thus, while the Italian invasion initially seemed like a swift victory, it laid the groundwork for years of conflict, resistance, and eventual integration into the larger struggles of World War II.