From Ivo Andrić
Part One
Memorie.al / According to the secret supplementary part of the Treaty of Alliance between Bulgaria and Serbia of February 29, 1912, Serbia was granted the right to take the former Turkish territory north and west of Mount Šar. In connection with this provision, and in an effort to secure an outlet to the sea for their state, Serbian troops entered Lezhë on November 15, 1912, and gradually occupied all of Northern Albania, as far as Tirana and Durrës. In the London Times of November 25, Pašić’s declaration was published, stating that Serbia seeks Durrës with its largest hinterland.
I – Formation of Autonomous Albania
However, the Conference of Ambassadors in London, on December 20, 1912, decided to form an autonomous Albania, granting Serbia only the right of commercial access to the Adriatic Sea. The same conference, on March 20, 1913, decided that Shkodër should be given to Albania. Montenegro did not accept the decision of the Great Powers; Serbia supported Montenegro’s stance and sent its own troops to reinforce the siege of Shkodër.
The Great Powers (on March 21) decided to carry out a naval demonstration, from which only Russia abstained. Austro-Hungarian, British, French, German and Italian cruisers, gathered near Bari, forced the Serbian troops to withdraw from their positions around Shkodër.
Blockade of the Montenegrin Coast
On April 10, the Great Powers declared a blockade of the Montenegrin coast, but the Montenegrin government continued the siege of Shkodër, which capitulated on April 20. King Nikola, however, was forced to give in and, on May 4, in a telegram he sent to Sir Edward Grey, left the fate of Shkodër in the hands of the Great Powers. The international occupation of Shkodër lasted from May 5, 1913, until the beginning of the World War.
II – DIVISION OF SPHERES OF INTEREST IN ALBANIA BETWEEN SERBIA AND GREECE
Although forced by pressure from the Great Powers, primarily Austria, to withdraw from the Adriatic and Northern Albania, Serbia did not lose hope. In the declaration that was a secret annex to the Treaty of Alliance between Greece and Serbia, on May 19, 1913, the spheres of interest between Greece and Serbia in the newly formed autonomous Albania were divided.
The territory lying north of the mouth of the Seman River into the sea, then along the bank of that river to the mouth of the Devoll, then along the bank of the Devoll to Mount Kamje – entered the Serbian sphere of influence. The southern part of Albania, south of this line, entered the Greek sphere of influence. In the event of unrest in Albania, the two states were to agree on the stance they would take. These are the maximum demands we have presented to Albania in a written document.
III – THE LONDON PACT AND ALBANIA
The London Pact, concluded on April 16, 1915, between France, Great Britain, Russia and Italy, contained the following provisions regarding Albania: In the note to Article 5 it was stated: The four allied powers will divide the Adriatic territories mentioned below between Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro (…).
In the Lower Adriatic (in the regions that concern Serbia and Montenegro), the entire coastline from Cape Planka to the Drin River, with the important ports of Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Tivar, Ulcinj and Shëngjin… The port of Durrës will be handed over to the independent Muslim state of Albania.”
Article 6 stated: “Italy shall receive full ownership of Vlorë, the island of Sazan, and, in addition, a sufficiently large territory for their defence, that is, the area between the Vjosa River to the north and east, and to the south as far as Himarë.” Article 7 states: “If a small autonomous and neutral state of Albania is formed, Italy shall not oppose the desire of France, Great Britain and Russia that the northern and southern regions of Albania be divided between Montenegro, Serbia and Greece.”
“Italy shall acquire the right to conduct the foreign affairs of Albania.” Thus, as early as 1915, the Great Powers accepted the principle of the partition of Albania and accepted that Italy, Serbia and Greece had their own interests in Albania. While the two Balkan states were given the right to correct the borders, Italy was given Vlorë and the protectorate over a truncated Albania.
IV – ALBANIA AT THE PEACE CONFERENCE
View of the Great Powers
At the Peace Conference, the allied powers (France, Great Britain and the United States of America), regarding Albania, initially proposed the borders in the north and east that they had set at the London Conference in 1913; they recognised Italy’s full sovereignty over Vlorë and the necessary hinterland, and gave Italy the mandate to administer the free Albanian state under the control of the League of Nations. (Memorandum of December 9, 1919)
Our view – (Against the Italian mandate. For a free Albania. Arguments for border correction and for taking Shkodër and Northern Albania). In our response of January 8, 1920, we opposed the proposal that Italy be given the mandate over Albania, stressing that this would be a repetition of the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“This solution,” it was stated in our response, “would create in Italy’s favour an offensive border against our state, which would be deprived of the means of defence. This would be, in a way, an offensive advantage, but also another perfect strategic support.”
We have requested, for economic and strategic reasons, a correction of the borders in our favour (in the middle course of the Drin, on the Buna, and in relation to the tribes of Kelmendi and Kastrati), as set by the London Conference of 1913. Apart from this correction, our delegation declared that the best solution is for Albania to become an independent state within the 1913 borders and with autonomous administration.
If this solution were not accepted, or if the southern part of Albania were to belong to other states, our delegation would request for us the northern part of Albania up to the Drin. “Our state has old rights in relation to these regions,” – it is stated in our memorandum.
Shkodër was the capital of the Serbian kings. Our people have shed rivers of blood for Shkodër, especially in the war of 1913, which cost Serbia many thousands of its soldiers and Montenegro a third of its army.
To satisfy the wishes of the Great Powers, the Serbian and Montenegrin troops evacuated Shkodër and Northern Albania in 1913. Austria, by mobilising its army, threatened war. Shkodër could have belonged to Montenegro, had it agreed to cede Lovćen to Austria, or had it been neutralised. But Montenegro did not agree to cede this important strategic position to Austria.”
The valley of the Drin and Shkodër form a geographical and economic whole with Montenegro and the border regions of Serbia. For Central Serbia and Montenegro, the Drin valley is the only direct and shortest route to the Adriatic. The important Danube–Adriatic railway must pass through the Drin valley. The London Conference of Ambassadors in 1913 granted Serbia the right of access to the sea.”
“Shkodër is also connected to the Buna River, which opens for Montenegrin trade the natural route to the sea. Since the Treaty of Berlin, Montenegro has enjoyed the right of free navigation on the Buna. Lake Shkodër, for the most part, belongs to Montenegro. Due to Turkish negligence, the best Montenegrin lands are still flooded by the waters of Lake Shkodër.
Therefore, our state is greatly interested in the regulation of the Buna and the Drin, not only because of navigation on the Buna, but also because in this way 12,000 to 20,000 hectares of very fertile land would be drained and just as much would be reclaimed. Two thirds of this land belongs to Montenegro.
The Italian view
(According to the memorandum of January 10, 1920)
Italy requests from the League of Nations the mandate to administer the independent Albanian state.
The Albanian borders in the north and east will be those set at the London Conference. The southern border will be subject to review.
The city of Vlorë will be given to Italy under full sovereignty, with the necessary hinterland for its defence and economic development.
The Allies accept that Shkodër and Northern Albania be annexed to Yugoslavia.
Proposing a general solution to the Adriatic question, and in connection with the cession of Rijeka to Italy, Clemenceau, as chairman of the Peace Conference, on January 13, 1920, told Pašić and Trumbić: “Thus, the state of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes will rise to the peak of its power, even when it has Shkodër, the Drin, and Shëngjin of Medovan.”
Italy accepted this, on condition that Italy kept Vlorë and received the mandate over Albania.
Our final response to the Peace Conference
In our final response to the Peace Conference, on January 14, 1920, we again set out the position that the best solution would be to entrust the administration of Albania, within the borders set in 1913, to the autonomous local government, without the interference of any foreign power.
And if this solution is not accepted, but it is decided that parts of Albanian territory be given to other states, our delegation will request the part of Northern Albania (presenting a map with the marked border), for which it promises an autonomous regime.
View of the late Pašić
When it seemed certain that the Allies would allow Italy to strengthen itself in Central Albania, the head of our delegation, Pašić, at the end of 1919, informed the government in Belgrade that the moment had come, forced by circumstances, to change our policy towards Albania.
In that letter it was stated: “Since, due to the penetration of Italy and its support by the Great Powers, we cannot restore in Albania the situation that existed before the evacuation of our army and at the time of Esad Pasha’s rule; since the Great Powers want to implement the London Agreement and Albania will not be what we have sought, and the Allies will give Italy Vlorë with its hinterland and the protectorate over a part of Albania, in these circumstances we must seek other, better borders with the Albanian territories that will be under the Italian protectorate.”
“The minimum we will accept from the Allies is this: the border along the Black Drin to its confluence with the White Drin, and from there along the Drin to the sea.”
“We must seek the maximum, so that Italy gets as little as possible. This maximum of our claims would be: the Mat River to its source and from there straight east to the Black Drin. Thus, Mat and Drin would be our borders with the Italian protectorate.” / Memorie.al
To be continued in the next issue
