1st Edition

Greek-Albanian Entanglements since the Nineteenth Century A History

By Alexis Heraclides, Ylli Kromidha Copyright 2024

    This book is a comprehensive study of more than 200 years of the shared and interconnected histories of Greek-Albanian relations, a field of inquiry that has not attracted the international scholarly attention it deserves.

    The book presents and analyses in detail topics including the contested borderland (1800–1912), the Greek Revolution (1821–1830) and Greek- Albanian entanglements during the Greek Revolution, Greek nationalism (identity and narrative), the Albanians (pre-modernism, belated nationalism, origin), the rise of Albanian nationalism, Albanian national identity and historical narrative, Greek-Albanian relations from the League of Prizren (1878) until Albania’s declaration of independence (1912), Greek irredentism (the "Northern Epirus Question", 1912–1920) and Albania’s precarious independence, Greek irredentism and Greek-Albanian relations (the "Northern Epirus Question", 1940–1971), the Greek minority in Albania, the Cham (Muslim Albanian) issue, the turbulent first part of the 1990s, the pending Greek-Albanian issues, and public opinion. It concludes with a road map for an eventual Albanian-Greek reconciliation.

    This volume will interest scholars and students of Southeastern Europe (Balkans), international relations and history, political science and sociology. It will also be a valuable resource for diplomats, journalists, think tanks and other organizations and institutions involved in the Balkans Greek-Albanian relations.

    Preface and Acknowledgements

    1. Contested borderlands, 1800–1900: geography and ethnic composition

    2. The Greek Revolution: main events and international dimension

    3. Greek-Albanian entanglements during the Greek Revolution

    4. Greek nationalism: national identity and historical narrative

    5. The Albanians: pre-modernism, belated nationalism, origin

    6. The rise of Albanian nationalism

    7. Albanian national identity and historical narrative

    8. Greek-Albanian relations from the League of Prizren (1878) until Albania’s Declaration of Independence (1912)

    9. Greek irredentism and Greek-Albanian relations: the ‘Northern Epirus Question’ (first phase, 1912–1920) and Albania’s precarious independence

    10. Greek irredentism and Greek-Albanian relations: the ‘Northern Epirus Question’ (second phase,

    1940–1971) and its aftermath

    11. The Greek minority in Albania, 1920–1990

    12. The Cham issue (1918–early 2020s)

    13. Early post-Cold War: the turbulent first part of the 1990s

    14. Pending issues and public opinion

    15. The quest for reconciliation: a road map

    Biography

    Alexis Heraclides is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences. He has written several books in English and Greek, including The Macedonian Question and the Macedonians: A History (2021).

    Ylli Kromidha is an Albanian political scientist specializing in Balkan international politics and history. His previous research monograph was Preventing Diplomacy: The Albanian-Macedonian Conflict and the Greek-Macedonian Conflict (in Greek, 2023).