Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu

Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu (known as Skanderbeg, Turkish İskender Bey, meaning "Lord or Leader Alexander"), is one of the most prominent historical figures in the history of Albania and is the national hero of the Albanians.

Born in Krujë, Albania, in 1405, Skanderbeg was a descendant of the Kastrioti family of Albanian origin. Skanderbeg's father was Gjon, lord of Middle Albania that included Mat, Krujë, Mirditë and Dibër. His mother Vojsava was from the Tribalda family.Gjiergi Kastrioti and his three brothers were taken by the Sultan to his court as hostages. After his conversion to Islam, he attended military school in Edirne and led many battles for the Ottoman Empire to victory. For his military victories, he received the title Arnavutlu İskender Bey (Albanian: Skenderbe Shqiptari) (English: Lord Alexander, the Albanian) comparing Kastrioti's military brilliance to that of Alexander the Great and the Sultan appointed him General.

On November 28, 1443, Skanderbeg saw his opportunity to rebel during a battle against the Hungarians. He switched sides along with 300 other Albanians serving in the Ottoman army. After a long trek to Albania he eventually captured Krujë by forging a letter from the Sultan to the Governor of Krujë, which granted him control of the territory. After capturing the castle, Skanderbeg abjured the Prophet and the Sultan, and proclaimed himself the avenger of his family and country. He raised his standard (that later became the Albanian flag) above the castle and reportedly pronounced:

"It wasn't me who brought you freedom, I found it here, among you."

Following the capture of Krujë, Skanderbeg managed to bring together all the Albanian princes in the town of Lezhë. With this support, Skanderbeg built fortresses and organized a mobile defense force that forced the Ottomans to disperse their troops, leaving them vulnerable to the hit-and-run tactics of the Albanians. Skanderbeg fought a guerrilla war against the opposing armies by using the mountainous terrain to his advantage. Skanderbeg continued his resistance against the Ottoman forces until his death. He successfully ousted the Ottoman Turks from his native land for over two decades. Scanderbeg died 1468, in Lezha, Albania. The Albanian resistance went on after the death of Skanderbeg for an additional ten years under the leadership of Dukagjini, though with only moderate success and no great victories.

The Ottoman Empire's expansion was ground to a halt during the timeframe in which Skanderbeg and his Albanian forces resisted. He has been credited with being the main reason for delaying Ottoman expansion into Western Europe, giving Vienna time to better prepare for the Ottoman arrival.

"When the Ottomans found the grave of Skanderbeg in Saint Nicholas, a church in Lezhë, they opened it and made amulets of his bones, that these would confer bravery on the wearer, believing that these would confer bravery on the wearer. Skanderbeg today is the national hero of Albania, a source of national pride. Many museums and monuments, such as the Skanderbeg Museum next to the castle in Krujë, have been raised in his honor around Albania and in predominantly Albanian-populated Kosovo. Skanderbeg's struggle against the Ottoman Empire became highly significant to the Albanian people, as it strengthened their solidarity, made them more conscious of their national identity, and served later as a great source of inspiration in their struggle for national unity, freedom, and independence."

Albania Under Communism

The History of Communist Albania essentially spans from 1945 until 1992, during which Albania had a Communist government. The communist party was created in 1941. Enver Hoxha became the leader of this party

Socialist People's Republic of Albania was the official name of Albania during the communist rule between 1976 and 1992. The first name of the state was the People's Republic of Albania which was used from 1946 to 1976. After the adoption of a new constitution in 1976, the state's name was changed to the People's Socialist Republic.

Albania was liberated from the Nazi invasion in November 1944 and a provisional government led by communists ruled the country until the abolishment of the monarchy and the establishment of a people's republic. There were high expectations that the people's republic would indeed be the rule of the Albanian people and a chance for prosperity after World War II, but it proved to be a Stalinist mechanism used by the dictator Enver Hoxha. After the schism with Yugoslavia in 1948, Albania remained closely related with the Soviet Union.

Stalin died in March 1953, and apparently fearing that the Soviet ruler's demise might encourage rivals within the Albanian party's ranks, neither Hoxha nor Shehu risked traveling to Moscow to attend his funeral. The Soviet Union's subsequent movement toward rapprochement with the hated Yugoslavs rankled the two Albanian leaders. Tirana soon came under pressure from Moscow to copy, at least formally, the new Soviet model for a collective leadership. In July 1953, Hoxha handed over the foreign affairs and defense portfolios to loyal followers, but he kept both the top party post and the premiership until 1954, when Shehu became Albania's prime minister. The Soviet Union, responding with an effort to raise the Albanian leaders' morale, elevated diplomatic relations between the two countries to the ambassadorial level.

After Stalin's death, Enver Hoxha sided with China. Hoxha was unhappy with China's rapprochement with the United States. Hoxha denounced the Chinese and decided to pursue a policy of self-reliance. China was his last political supporter before the total isolation period (1978-1992).

From 1978 to 1992, Albania was an extremely isolated country. Enver Hoxha, as well as his successor Ramiz Alia, emphasized the necessity to remain loyal to Marxist-Leninist ideals and conducted his rule in much of a Stalinist way. The SPR of Albania came to an end in 1992 when the single-party constitution was abrogated in order to reintroduce democracy and political pluralism.

The Communist regime, during its 45 years of absolute rule, religion was officially banned, and Albania was proclaimed as the first and only atheist state in the world.

Greek Minority in Albania.

I have seen many Greeks on YouTube and on other Websites such as Wikipedia claiming that Albania violates the human rights of the Ethnic Greeks and that they are not even allowed to speak Greek.

Well maybe this another propaganda from Greece because Albania does not violate anything and the Ethnic Greeks have all their rights.

First of all, Greeks got there in 1800s simply because at the time there was no Albanian state and so they didn't have to pay taxes, and also they could get a piece of land for free, to built their homes and feed their families.

Ethnic Greeks have religious toleration and also Greek schools. Even though in Greece are hundreds of thousands Albanians (immigrants and Ethnic groups) there are no Albanian schools, and yet not religious toleration. Moreover Ethnic Greeks have their own political party.

So, that leads to believe that Greece violates the human rights and not Albania.

Lets not forget the history, when in 1945 Greek troops killed more that 5 000 Chams (Ethnic Albanians) and forced hundreds of thousands to leave their land. In attempt to survive many Ethnic Albanians changed to their names to Greek and their religion to Greek Orthodox. Still today they are afraid and they claim themeselves as Greeks, and also they are afraid to speak Albanian, even though it is their native language.

And yet many Albanians in Southern Albania are claimming themeselves as Greeks because the Greek government pays them and because the want to get legal documents to go to Greece.