King of Albania
The modern state Albania has twice been a monarchy. Firstly, after it was declared independent in 1912, it was briefly a principality, but when it was occupied during World War I the Prince, William of Wied, was forced into exile. The confusing aftermath of the war ended with Albania being proclaimed a republic in 1924.
Secondly, the dictator Ahmed Bey Zogu proclaimed himself King of Albania on September 1, 1928 as Zog I. The Kingdom was tied more and more closely to Mussolini's Italy, until the latter occupied it on April 7, 1939. The King fled the country, and five days later, the Albanian parliament elected Victor Emmanuel III of Italy new King of Albania. He formally remained such until the communist People's Republic was established in 1946.
During and after World War II, some Albanians worked for the return of King Zog; however, they were not successful. Neither was any of the two kings widely accepted as such by the international community.
See also
