Forsaken Albania

By Artan Lame
Albania, 1939-1943. I realise some individuals may frown a little, but that too, is history. It is a known fact that dictatorships are full of ideological meglomania and with things that distort and de-naturalise reality. In this context, fascism not only was no exception to the rule, but it was avantguard in this respect. Even worse, afetr it had been imposed on its own people, it was then imposed on another people, via invasion, and here this megolamania reaches the propostions of the absurd. All of this, fermented into an environment which was Albanians, full of life contrasts and centuries old opportunism, naturally created the terrain for all this to become surreal and ridiculous.
In photo 1 you can see Count Cianno, the son-in-law of Mussolini during a visit he paid to Saranda. The building behind is Customs, where in the 80-ties of the 19th Century, Naim Frasheri had worked and which the Italians re-built from its foundations. On the window you can see the slogan which reads, “Long Live Il DUCE , Albania’s Saviour.”
In photo 2, you can see teh slogans being carried in an anti-Greek demonstration in Tirana in August of 1940. Naturally, due to the fact that we were incapable of liberating Kosovo and Chameria ourselves, then we showed our patriotism hoping that either Duci or Hitler would do the job.
In photo 3, you can see an Arch of Triumph in the shape of the letter “M” for Mussolini, built in Korca in 1941. The words in Italian say, “CIANNO-TELL IL DUCE TYHAT KORCA AWAITS HIM.”
In photo 4, you can see a demonstration on teh occasion of the visit of Victor Emanuel the third to Shkodra in 1941. The words on the banderola carried by several highlanders, carrying axes, are a quote of Mussolini’s: “I LOVE TREES, I WILL HELP YOU DEEFEND THEM.”
In photo 5 you can see a group of youing Albanians wearing the uniforms of the Albanian Fascist Youth. One of the slogans reads, “LONG LIVE THE IMPERIAL QUEEN,” REFERRING TO Helena, the wife of King Victor-Emanuel the third. The other slogan reads, “MAY THE CROWN OF GREATER ALBANIA BE YOURS ETERNALLY”
The slogans in photo 6 are the more profound. This is about a spontaneous rally of inhabitants in Tirana against the repression of the people of Chameria by Greece. One of the placards reads, “THE ENGLISH MUST LEAVE THE CIVILIZED WORLD,” in other words the Albanian of 65 years ago defined who the civilised world was and shows the English where they should go. “ORDER US IL DUCE” is another slogan. “LONG LIVE THE ARMY,” THE Italian army of course. “DOWN WITH THE ENGLISH THIEVES,” naturally, if we are here, nothing remains for the English.
However, what you remember is not so much the fact of Albanian opportunism which generation after generation has been reflected in all kinds of slogans and banners, but the parody of fascist Italy which with such manouvers tried to convince itself and the rest of the world of its strength.