Bejtullah D. Destani – författare

Despite the extensive analysis of the historical, political and legal background of many Balkan conflicts in recent years, little attention has been paid to the tragedy of the Cham ethnic community. In 1913 the commission entrusted by the London Conference of Ambassadors to define the southern borders of the newly created state of Albania ended its proceedings with the Protocol of Florence, which provided that the territories inhabited by almost half of the Albanian population were exempted from the boundaries of the new state. While nearly 800,000 inhabitants found themselves within the new state of Albania, the territories inhabited by the remaining 700,000 ethnic Albanians became constituent parts of Serbia and Greece - the winners of the Balkan Wars. The land of the Chams, a coastal area between southern Albania and north-west Greece known as 'Chameria', was entirely incorporated into Greece.Since that time, the predominantly Muslim Chams have faced severe persecution and forced expulsion from their homes in Greece, particularly under the Metaxas regime, when the Chams were prohibited from using their own language outside of their home, and also during World War II, when Chams were persecuted in retaliation for their collaboration with the Axis powers. In the aftermath of World War II, the continued persecution of the Chams forced many to return to Albania, or to seek refuge in Turkey or the United States with the result that, after the war, only just over 100 Muslim Cham Albanians were left in Greece. In recent years, following the collapse of communism in Albania, when foreign travel again became possible, many have sought to return to their homelands in Greece and to regain their property. The documents gathered together in this book consist of records of the League of Nations and the British Mission, as well as documents assembled by other diplomatic missions between 1913 and the 1960s. Together, they address all of the periods of forced expulsions of the Cham population from Greece.The publication of these documents provides an unparalleled historical record of the Cham story. This book will be essential reading for scholars of Balkan history, politics and human rights. It will provide a fascinating insight into one of the forgotten tragedies of the twentieth century.

The Ottoman Empire - the great power which had ruled much of southeastern Europe and the Middle East for over five centuries - was manifestly in decline by 1912. Its decline had been gradual, but by the early years of the twentieth century, the collapse of the mighty world that had once stretched to the gates of Vienna seemed increasingly inevitable. New Balkan states - Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece - combined forces in the First Balkan War (1912-1913) to bring about its downfall. But with victory in their grasp, they were soon at one another's throats. This book contains 83 selected and edited consular dispatches and reports sent to the Foreign Office in London focusing on events in Macedonia during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1914. They reveal the extent of human suffering in the southern Balkan region in this period and provide much insight into the realities of the Balkan conflagration as it affected Macedonia and its environs. As a first-hand, on-the-spot account, this is an invaluable source for historians of twentieth-century Europe, the lead-up to World War I and the decline of the Ottoman Empire.

The question of Kosovan sovereignty and independence has a history which stretches far back beyond the outbreak of war in 1998. This volume is a compilation of key documents on Kosovo from the first half of the twentieth century. These texts, including numerous diplomatic despatches from the British Foreign Office, deal initially with the Albanian uprising against Ottoman rule in the spring of 1912 and, in particular, with the period of the Serbian invasion of Kosovo in late 1912 and the repercussions of the conquest for the Albanian population. The documents from 1918 to the early 1920s focus mainly on endeavours by Albanian leaders, including those of the so-called Kosovo Committee in exile, to bring the plight of their people to the attention of the outside world - endeavours which largely failed. Further documents reflect the situation in Kosovo up to the outbreak of World War II. This collection provides new perspectives on the Kosovo question and includes many documents which have been largely unavailable up to now. It sheds new light on many of the major and minor episodes that channelled and determined subsequent events, including the Kosovo War of 1998-1999 and the declaration of independence in February 2008.

The question of Kosovan sovereignty and independence has a history which stretches far back beyond the outbreak of war in 1998. This volume is a compilation of key documents on Kosovo from the first half of the twentieth century. These texts, including numerous diplomatic despatches from the British Foreign Office, deal initially with the Albanian uprising against Ottoman rule in the spring of 1912 and, in particular, with the period of the Serbian invasion of Kosovo in late 1912 and the repercussions of the conquest for the Albanian population. The documents from 1918 to the early 1920s focus mainly on endeavours by Albanian leaders, including those of the so-called Kosovo Committee in exile, to bring the plight of their people to the attention of the outside world - endeavours which largely failed. Further documents reflect the situation in Kosovo up to the outbreak of World War II. This collection provides new perspectives on the Kosovo question and includes many documents which have been largely unavailable up to now. It sheds new light on many of the major and minor episodes that channelled and determined subsequent events, including the Kosovo War of 1998-1999 and the declaration of independence in February 2008.

The question of Kosovan sovereignty and independence has a history which stretches far back beyond the outbreak of war in 1998. This volume is a compilation of key documents on Kosovo from the first half of the twentieth century. These texts, including numerous diplomatic despatches from the British Foreign Office, deal initially with the Albanian uprising against Ottoman rule in the spring of 1912 and, in particular, with the period of the Serbian invasion of Kosovo in late 1912 and the repercussions of the conquest for the Albanian population. The documents from 1918 to the early 1920s focus mainly on endeavours by Albanian leaders, including those of the so-called Kosovo Committee in exile, to bring the plight of their people to the attention of the outside world - endeavours which largely failed. Further documents reflect the situation in Kosovo up to the outbreak of World War II. This collection provides new perspectives on the Kosovo question and includes many documents which have been largely unavailable up to now. It sheds new light on many of the major and minor episodes that channelled and determined subsequent events, including the Kosovo War of 1998-1999 and the declaration of independence in February 2008.

Margaret Hasluck was a classical scholar whose passionate intellectual and personal interest in the Balkans was first kindled when she won a scholarship to the British School in Athens before World War I. Hasluck lived in Albania for nearly twenty years until the country was occupied by Italy in 1939 and she was forced into exile. During her time in Albania she travelled widely in the Balkans and published a number of works about various aspects of Albanian politics and culture, from traditional folklore to non-conformist Islam. With the start of World War II, she was employed by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and as a result of her detailed knowledge of the Balkans she was appointed adviser on Albanian Affairs from February 1942, a post she held until 1944. "Our Woman in Albania" includes many colourful and original observations and accounts of all aspects of Albanian life, both ancient and modern, examining Homeric parallels with Albanian marriage and kingship traditions, the treatment of minorities within the region and the language requirements of the military during the World War II. It is a historically significant and valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the dramatic history of this fascinating region.

Although best known as an eminent classical archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans was also passionately interested in the history of Albania. An authority on ancient Illyria, his sophisticated sense of the region's ancient roots infused his understanding of the complex culture and politics of the Balkans in the 19th century and combined to make him an authoritative and entertaining guide to this important subject. In "Albanian Letters", Evans not only explores the implications of the key political events of this period (for example, the formation of the Albanian League in 1878) but also paints a vivid picture of the country's complex social and cultural make-up. In the late 19th century, the questions of nationalism and national identity were a major preoccupation for Albanians."Albanian Letters" looks at how Albanians' views of their homeland were affected by developments taking place at the time, including increasing awareness of ethnic differences, population migration and changes to its distinctive culture and tradition. "Albanian Letters" offers a vivid snapshot of a nation at a critical period in its development.