The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus (Greek: Αυτόνομος Δημοκρατία της Βορείου Ηπείρου, Aftónomos Dimokratía tis Voreíou Ipeírou) was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars on February 28, 1914 by Greeks living in southern Albania (Northern Epirotes).
The area, known as "Northern Epirus" (Βόρειος Ήπειρος) to Greeks and with a substantial Greek population, was taken by the Greek Army during the First Balkan War (1912–1913). The Protocol of Florence however, had assigned it to the newly established Albanian state. This decision was rejected by the local Greeks, and as the Greek army withdrew to the new border, an autonomous government was set up at Argyrokastron (Greek: Αργυρόκαστρον, today Gjirokastër), under the leadership of Georgios Christakis-Zografos, a distinguished local Greek politician and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with tacit support from Greece.
In May, the autonomy was confirmed by the Great Powers with the Protocol of Corfu. The agreement ensured that the region would have its own administration, recognized the rights of the local population and provided for self-government under nominal Albanian sovereignty. However, it was never implemented because in August the Albanian government collapsed. The Greek Army reoccupied the area in October 1914 following the outbreak of World War I. Northern Epirus was slated to be ceded to Greece following the war, but withdrawal of Italian support and Greece's defeat in the Asia Minor Campaign resulted in its final cession to Albania in November 1921. In 1925, Albania's borders were fixed by the Protocol of Florence, and Greece abandoned all claims to Northern Epirus.
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