Italian invasion of Albania

Italian invasion of Albania
	Part of the prelude to World War II
	; Column of Italian forces in Albania
Date	April 7–12, 1939; (5 days)
Location	Albanian Kingdom
Result	Italian victory; Albania becomes an Italian protectorate; King Zog I flees to Greece; Albanian resistance begins;
Belligerents
Italy	Albania
Commanders and leaders
Benito Mussolini; Alfredo Guzzoni; Giovanni Messe; Ettore Sportiello	Zog I; Xhemal Aranitasi; Abaz Kupi; Mujo Ulqinaku †
Strength
22,000 soldiers; 400 aircraft; 2 battleships; 3 heavy cruisers; 3 light cruisers; 9 destroyers; 14 torpedo boats; 1 minelayer; 10 auxiliary ships; 9 transport ships	8,000 soldiers; 5 aircraft; 3 torpedo boats
Casualties and losses
Possibly 700 killed (according to Fischer); 12–25 killed (Italian claim); 97 wounded	700+ killed (according to Fischer); 160 killed and several hundreds wounded (according to Pearson); 5 aircraft; 3 torpedo boats

The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign which was launched by Italy against Albania in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime minister and dictator Benito Mussolini. Albania was rapidly occupied, its ruler King Zog I went into exile in the neighboring Kingdom of Greece, and the country was made a part of the Italian Empire as a protectorate in personal union with the Italian Crown.

^ Fischer 1999 (Purdue ed.), p. 21.
^ Fischer 1999 (Purdue ed.), p. 22.
^ ^a ^b Fischer 1999, p. 22:Reports on the number of casualties differed rather significantly. The townspeople of Durrës maintained that the Italians lost four hundred. Although Italian propaganda claimed that Italy only lost twelve men in the entire invasion, it is possible that approximately two hundred Italians were killed in Durrës alone and as many as seven hundred Italians may have been killed in total.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pearson 2004, p. 445.
^ Fischer, Bernd J. (1999a). Albania at war, 1939-1945. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press. p. 22. ISBN 9781557531414. Albanian casualties may have been higher.

[FOOTNOTEFischer_1999_(Purdue_ed.)21-1] Fischer 1999 (Purdue ed.), p. 21.

[FOOTNOTEFischer_1999_(Purdue_ed.)22-2] Fischer 1999 (Purdue ed.), p. 22.

[Fischer22-3] Fischer 1999, p. 22:Reports on the number of casualties differed rather significantly. The townspeople of Durrës maintained that the Italians lost four hundred. Although Italian propaganda claimed that Italy only lost twelve men in the entire invasion, it is possible that approximately two hundred Italians were killed in Durrës alone and as many as seven hundred Italians may have been killed in total.

[FOOTNOTEPearson2004445-4] Pearson 2004, p. 445.

[Fischer-5] Fischer, Bernd J. (1999a). Albania at war, 1939-1945. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press. p. 22. ISBN 9781557531414. Albanian casualties may have been higher.

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