Start of War
The war started on June 4, after the Italian general Settimo Piacentini refused to hand over the Vlora district to the Albanian government. Albanian volunteers were organized by the National Defense Committee under the political leadership of Qazim Koculi and they reached the number of 4,000, while Ahmet Lepenica was appointed their commander in chief. In the meantime, Italy had 20,000 well-armed soldiers in the area. The Albanian rebels started the first battles in the city Vlora, where they used swords, sticks and stones. Some of them had even no weapons.
The advance of the Albanian troops, and the revolutionary movements in Italy made the reinforcements basically impossible. On August 2, 1920 the Albanian-Italian protocol was signed, upon which Italy would retreat from Albania. This gave an end to Italian claims for Vlora and a mandate over Albania, rescuing the territory of the Albanian state from further partition. A cease-fire was announced on August 5, ending all Italo-Albanian hostilities.
Read more about this topic: Vlora War
Famous quotes containing the words start and/or war:
“The East is marvellously interesting for tracing our steps back. But for going forward, it is nothing. All it can hope for is to be fertilised by Europe, so that it can start on a new phase.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations.... This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.”
—John Adams (1735–1826)