Albanian Declaration of Independence

The proclamation by Albanian leaders in Vlorë on 28 November 1912 that declared Albania independent from the Ottoman Empire and established a provisional government.

Albanian National Awakening: A nineteenth- and early twentieth-century movement for Albanian cultural development, political autonomy, and national independence. Its schools, publications, and political networks prepared support for an independent Albanian state.
Ismail Qemali: An Ottoman Albanian politician who led the declaration of independence and headed Albania’s first provisional government. He convened the Vlorë assembly and became its leading political figure.
Assembly of Vlorë: The assembly of Albanian representatives that met in Vlorë in November 1912 and declared independence. It adopted the declaration and selected a provisional government.
Principality of Albania: The Albanian state established as a principality in 1914 under the rule of William of Wied. It followed the provisional government after the Great Powers settled on a European monarch.
League of Prizren: An Albanian political and military organization founded in 1878 to defend Albanian-inhabited lands and advance national interests. It established an earlier model of collective Albanian political action under Ottoman rule.
Isa Boletini: An Albanian nationalist leader and guerrilla commander from Kosovo who fought Ottoman rule and supported Albanian independence. His arrival in Vlorë linked the proclamation to armed resistance in Kosovo.
Provisional Government of Albania: The government formed in Vlorë in 1912 to administer Albania after the declaration of independence. It gave the proclamation an executive authority, though its control over territory was limited.
William of Wied: A German prince who ruled Albania briefly in 1914 as its first internationally selected monarch. His arrival tested whether the state created after independence could sustain centralized rule.
Young Turk Revolution: The 1908 revolution that restored constitutional government in the Ottoman Empire and brought the Committee of Union and Progress to power. Its centralizing policies intensified Albanian opposition to Ottoman rule.
Luigj Gurakuqi: An Albanian writer, educator, and politician who helped organize the independence movement and served in the provisional government. He helped coordinate Albanian delegates and shape the new government.

Linked from 9 pages