Shefqet Vërlaci
Shefqet Bej Vërlaci (born December 15, 1877 in Elbasan , † July 21, 1946 in Zurich ) was an Albanian politician and two-time Prime Minister of Albania .
Vërlaci was one of the largest landowners in Albania. He was the leader of the largest conservative party in the country, the Progress Party . He campaigned resolutely against any agrarian reform and for the large landowners.
From March 5 to May 27, 1924, he was Prime Minister for the first time. As a kind of deputy, he replaced Ahmet Zogu , who had recently been shot in an assassination attempt. At that time, Vërlaci was closely related to the future king, who had been engaged to his daughter Fatima since 1922. The connection with the influential Vërlaci family was an important step in Zogu's rise. But Vërlaci did not succeed in bringing the increasingly troubled situation in the country under control. Shortly after Avni Rustemi's murder , he had to vacate his post and flee to Italy . His successor, Ilyaz Vrioni , foreign minister , stayed in office for only a few days; Zogu's adversaries came to power and Fan Noli became prime minister in June.
After Zogu broke off the engagement in 1926 without giving any reasons, the two men were at enmity. That year he planned an uprising against Zogu, who again headed the government. Also in 1935 he was one of the leaders of an uprising against Zogu, who was now king. In the meantime Vërlaci had found refuge in Italy.
Shortly after Italy occupied Albania , Vërlaci was installed as prime minister of a puppet government on April 12, 1939 . He was considered a vehement opponent of Zogu and had long maintained a close relationship with the Italian fascists . The Italians also appointed him Italian Senator . When in May 1941 King Victor Emmanuel III. Visited Albania, he and Vërlaci were shot at. In December 1941, Vërlaci was deposed because law and order could not be enforced in the country, and replaced by Mustafa Kruja , who was not a large landowner. As a result, Vërlaci even campaigned against the Italian occupiers.
After the communists came to power, Vërlaci was expropriated. He fled to Italy and died in Zurich in 1946 .
literature
- Peter Bartl: Albania . Pustet, Regensburg 1995, ISBN 3-7917-1451-1 .
- Hubert Neuwirth: Resistance and Collaboration in Albania 1939–1944. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2008, ISBN 978-3-447-05783-7 .
- Owen Pearson: Albania in the Twentieth Century, A History: Volume II: Albania in Occupation and War, 1939-45 . IB Tauris, London 2006, ISBN 1-84511-104-4 .
Web links
- Entry in the Senatori dell'Italia fascista database of the Historical Archives of the Italian Senate
Individual evidence
- ^ Edwin Jacques: The Albanians: an ethnic history from prehistoric times to the present . McFarland & Company, Jefferson 1995, ISBN 0-89950-932-0 , pp. 379 ( Google Books ).
- ↑ Bernd Jürgen Fischer: Albania at War, 1939-1945 . Purdue University Press, West Lafayette 1999, ISBN 1-55753-141-2 .
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Ahmet Zogu |
Prime Minister of Albania in 1924 |
Iliaz Vrioni |
| Kostaq Kota |
Prime Minister of Albania 1939–1941 |
Mustafa Kruja |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vërlaci, Shefqet |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Vërlaci, Shefqet Bej |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Albanian Prime Minister |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 15, 1877 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Elbasan |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 21, 1946 |
| Place of death | Zurich |