Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign which was launched by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime minister and dictator Benito Mussolini. Albania was rapidly overrun, its ruler King Zog I went into exile in neighboring Greece, and the country was made a part of the Italian Empire as a protectorate in personal union with the Italian Crown.
Italian invasion of Albania | |||||||||
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Part of the interwar period | |||||||||
Italian forces in Albania. | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Italy | Albania | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Benito Mussolini Alfredo Guzzoni Giovanni Messe |
Zog I Xhemal Aranitasi Abaz Kupi Mujo Ulqinaku † | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
40,000 soldiers 400 aircraft 2 battleships 3 heavy cruisers 3 light cruisers 9 destroyers 14 torpedo boats 1 minelayer 10 auxiliary ships 9 transport ships |
8,000 soldiers 5 aircraft 3 torpedo boats | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Possibly 700 dead (according to Fischer) 12–25 dead (Italian claim) 97 wounded |
Likely more than 700 dead (according to Fischer) 160 dead and several hundreds wounded (according to Pearson) 5 aircraft 3 torpedo boats |
Events leading to World War II |
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