Albanian Vilayet

The Albanian Vilayet (Ottoman Turkish: ولايت ارناود, Vilâyet-i Arnavid) was a projected vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in the western Balkan Peninsula, which was to include the four Ottoman vilayets with substantial ethnic Albanian populations: Kosovo Vilayet, Scutari Vilayet, Manastir Vilayet, and Janina Vilayet. In some proposals, it included the Salonica Vilayet as well.^[1]^[2]^[3] The creation of the Vilayet was confirmed in September 1912, but negotiations were interrupted a month later in October by the beginning of the First Balkan War. Plans for an Albanian Vilayet were lost with the Partition of Albania.

A separate Albanian vilayet was a part of the agenda of many Albanian organizations and societies since 1877, during the period known as the Albanian National Awakening. Establishment of such a vilayet was agreed between the Albanian rebels and the authorized representatives of the Ottoman government on September 4, 1912, following the Albanian Revolt of 1912. Soon after that agreement however, the First Balkan War broke out and most of the remaining European territory of the Ottoman Empire was occupied by the Balkan League member states. After the army of the Kingdom of Serbia captured Skopje, Ismail Qemali invited a group of Albanians from all four Ottoman vilayets that were agreed to be united into the Albanian Vilayet, to attend an All-Albanian Congress in Valona. There they declared independence on November 28, 1912, and set up the Provisional Government of Albania.

The same territories were claimed by nations in the region that had already raised their national development to independent statehood: Shkodër vilayet was claimed by the Serbs and Montenegrins, Kosovo vilayet by the Serbs, Montenegrins and Bulgarians, Monastir vilayet by the Serbs, Greeks and Bulgarians and Janina Vilayet by the Greeks.^[4] A few weeks after the beginning of the First Balkan War, the biggest part of the territories intended for the Albanian Vilayet was in the hands of Balkan League member states, as a condominium.^[5] Final frontiers between the Balkan League members and the new Principality of Albania were decided by the treaties of London and Bucharest, and ignored the frontiers of the proposed Albanian Vilayet, leaving substantial Albanian populations living outside the newly established Albanian nation-state.

^ Clayer, Nathalie (2007). Aux origines du nationalisme albanais: la naissance d'une nation majoritairement musulmane on Europe. Karthala. p. 463. ISBN 978-2-84586-816-8. Retrieved January 19, 2011. Contrairement à ce qui est souvent affirmé, la revendication d'un territoire englobant le vilayet de Salonique fut assez fréquente
^ Bataković, Dušan T. (1992). "The Albanian League". The Kosovo Chronicles. Belgrade, Serbia: Knižara Plato. ISBN 86-447-0006-5. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2011. Plans were then already voiced for including even the Salonika vilayet
^ Jelavich, Charles; Jelavich, Barbara (1986). The establishment of the Balkan national states, 1804–1920. University of Washington Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-295-96413-3. The first, more moderate, wanted the five vilayets (this would include Thessaloniki) that were inhabited by Albanians to be united in a single province ... plan receives support of the conservatives. The more radical group desired unification of just four vilayets, but with full administrative autonomy
^ Sellers, Mortimer; Tomaszewski, Tadeusz (2010-04-15). Sellers, Mortimer; Tomaszewski, Tadeusz (eds.). The Rule of Law in Comparative Perspective. London: Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg. p. 202. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3749-7. ISBN 978-90-481-3748-0. Retrieved January 19, 2011. However, the same regions were also claimed by those nations living in area that had started their national developments and risen to nation statehood level somewhat before Albanians. The vilayets of Shkodra (part of present Albania) and Kosovo (an independent state now) were claimed by Serbs and Montenegrins, Monastir by Serbs and Bulgarians and Ioaninna by the Greek.
^ Redlich, Josef; d'Estournelles, Baron; Godart, M. Justin; Shucking, Walter; Hirst, Francis W.; Brailsford, H. N.; Milioukov, Paul; Dutton, Samuel T. (1914). "Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the Causes and the Conduct of the Balkan Wars". Washington D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Piece. p. 49. Retrieved January 10, 2011. In a few weeks the territories of Turkey in Europe .. by the Balkan allies ... in their hands as condominium

[1] Clayer, Nathalie (2007). Aux origines du nationalisme albanais: la naissance d'une nation majoritairement musulmane on Europe. Karthala. p. 463. ISBN 978-2-84586-816-8. Retrieved January 19, 2011. Contrairement à ce qui est souvent affirmé, la revendication d'un territoire englobant le vilayet de Salonique fut assez fréquente

[Bataković-2] Bataković, Dušan T. (1992). "The Albanian League". The Kosovo Chronicles. Belgrade, Serbia: Knižara Plato. ISBN 86-447-0006-5. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2011. Plans were then already voiced for including even the Salonika vilayet

[University_of_Washington_Press-3] Jelavich, Charles; Jelavich, Barbara (1986). The establishment of the Balkan national states, 1804–1920. University of Washington Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-295-96413-3. The first, more moderate, wanted the five vilayets (this would include Thessaloniki) that were inhabited by Albanians to be united in a single province ... plan receives support of the conservatives. The more radical group desired unification of just four vilayets, but with full administrative autonomy

[4] Sellers, Mortimer; Tomaszewski, Tadeusz (2010-04-15). Sellers, Mortimer; Tomaszewski, Tadeusz (eds.). The Rule of Law in Comparative Perspective. London: Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg. p. 202. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3749-7. ISBN 978-90-481-3748-0. Retrieved January 19, 2011. However, the same regions were also claimed by those nations living in area that had started their national developments and risen to nation statehood level somewhat before Albanians. The vilayets of Shkodra (part of present Albania) and Kosovo (an independent state now) were claimed by Serbs and Montenegrins, Monastir by Serbs and Bulgarians and Ioaninna by the Greek.

[report-5] Redlich, Josef; d'Estournelles, Baron; Godart, M. Justin; Shucking, Walter; Hirst, Francis W.; Brailsford, H. N.; Milioukov, Paul; Dutton, Samuel T. (1914). "Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the Causes and the Conduct of the Balkan Wars". Washington D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Piece. p. 49. Retrieved January 10, 2011. In a few weeks the territories of Turkey in Europe .. by the Balkan allies ... in their hands as condominium

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