The Birth of Albania

The ''Albanian question'' remains one of the major unresolved questions in south-eastern Europe, with the potential to disrupt the region, with grave consequences for the international community. The exodus of refugees from Kosovo into Albania in the late 1990s - and Kosovo''s subsequent declaration of independence in February 2008 - rejuvenated interest in Albania and Kosovo and their place in the Balkans. Yet despite growing interest in the region''s recent history, until now Albania''s period of independence around World War I has been largely neglected. explores how an independent Albania first came into existence in the early 20th century, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Nicola Guy explains how and why Albanian independence was finally achieved, in the context of the prevailing contemporary ideas of ethnicity and national identity, elaborated most famously by President Woodrow Wilson as ''national self-determination''. This book is the definitive account of this period and an essential contribution to our understanding of an important but often overlooked part of the world.>

Préface
The Birth of Albania explores how an independent Albania first came into existence in the early 20th century.

Auteur
Nicola Guy gained her PhD in History from Durham University, UK. She has published a number of articles in academic journals and presented papers at international conferences in the UK, USA and Greece. She currently works as a policy maker in the British Civil Service and tutors on modern European history courses for the Open University, UK.

Résumé
The 'Albanian question' remains one of the major unresolved questions in south-eastern Europe, with the potential to disrupt the region, with grave consequences for the international community. The exodus of refugees from Kosovo into Albania in the late 1990s - and Kosovo's subsequent declaration of independence in February 2008 - rejuvenated interest in Albania and Kosovo and their place in the Balkans. Yet despite growing interest in the region's recent history, until now Albania's period of independence around World War I has been largely neglected. The Birth of Albania explores how an independent Albania first came into existence in the early 20th century, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Nicola Guy explains how and why Albanian independence was finally achieved, in the context of the prevailing contemporary ideas of ethnicity and national identity, elaborated most famously by President Woodrow Wilson as 'national self-determination'. This book is the definitive account of this period and an essential contribution to our understanding of an important but often overlooked part of the world.

Contenu
Acknowledgements Abbreviations and note on spellings Introduction 1. National ambitions and linguistic nationalism: the emergence of an Albanian identity in 1912 2. Initial independence: great power interests and Albanian boundaries during the Balkan wars and London conferences 3. Experiments with self-government: provisional authorities, the international control commission and Prince Wilhelm of Wied 4. The Entente powers and the projected partition of Albania: the attempt to form a Balkan alliance 1914-15 5. Albanians at war: anarchy, occupation and renewed independence? 6. The Peace Conference of Paris 7. Post-war Albania: Allied occupations and nationalist resurgence 8. The emergence of independence: the Ambassador's Conference of Paris and the League of Nations (March 1920- November 1921) Conclusion Glossary of Terms A Selective Who's Who Appendices Bibliography Index