Muslim Uprising in Albania
| The Peasant Revolt in Albania | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Hendrik Reimers, Dutch captain of the International Gendarmerie, captured by rebels (June 1914) |
|||||
|
|||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Albanian Muslim pro-Ottoman rebels |
 Albania Romanian volunteers Austro-Hungarian volunteers
|
||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Haxhi Qamili, Arif Hiqmeti, Musa Qazimi and Mustafa Ndroqi | |||||
| Units involved | |||||
|
|||||
The Peasant Revolt in Albania, or the Muslim Uprising in Albania, was the uprising of peasants from central Albania, mostly Muslims, against the regime of Prince Wilhelm of Wied during 1914, and was one of the reasons for the prince's withdrawal from the country, marking the fall of the Principality of Albania. The revolt was led by Muslim leaders Haxhi Qamili, Arif Hiqmeti, Musa Qazimi and Mustafa Ndroqi. As well as total amnesty, the rebels demanded the return of Albania to the suzerainty of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Prince Wilhelm of Wied took the throne of Principality of Albania on March 7, 1914, and had to face a chaotic political situation, both within the country and with its neighbours. Based on the Treaty of London signed on May 30, 1913, the Great Powers resolved on July 29, 1913 that they should establish International gendarmerie to take care of public order and security on the territory of newly recognized Principality of Albania. On the same basis they established International Commission of Control on October 15, 1913, to take care of the administration of newly established Albania until its own political institutions were in order.
Prince Wilhelm of Wied had to deal with a difficult political situation:
There were numerous armed groups in Principality of Albania during regime of prince Wilhelm:
Essad Pasha Toptani, as minister of war and interior, was against peaceful solution of problem with Northern Epirote Declaration of Independence of February 28, 1914. He opposed International Commission of Control which believed that problem can be solved by diplomatic means. Prince and his cabinet accepted proposals of Essad Pasha to decide for military solution. In order to increase the military strength of the Principality of Albania, several thousand Italian rifles and Austrian machine and mountain guns were purchased and distributed to the (predominantly Muslim) population of the central Albania.
...
Wikipedia