The German-Albanian Relations in the First Half of the 20th Century

Abstract

The German-Albanian relations in the first half of the 20th Century have been marked by specific characteristics. By the end of the First World War, the German policy supported the foreign policy interests of Austria-Hungary in Albania. Germany had recognized Albania in 1922 and with the growth of German economic interests it established unilaterally a diplomatic mission in Tirana in 1923. Since the Italian policy in the Balkans aimed an economic and political domination of the Adriatic eastern region, so the German and Italian interests inevitably intersected also in Albania. Against this background a continuous political disinterest of the German foreign policy in Albania is noted – from the Berlin Congress of 1878 through the London Conference of Ambassadors 1912–1913 to the period 1920–1930. Thus the German Albania policy only limited to two areas, namely the revival of commodity exchange and the promotion of the German language without maintaining special political and economic relations to Albania. Only in September 1943, when the German Wehrmacht for inevitable war reasons occupied Albania, the German-Albanian relations were characterized by specific political, economic and military developments.