During this time, Albania ceased to exist as an independent country and became an autonomous part of the Italian Empire.

[5] In the Treaty of London during World War I, the Triple Entente had promised territories in Albania to Italy as a reward for fighting against the Central Powers.

[9] Prior to direct intervention in World War I, the Kingdom of Italy occupied the port of Vlorë in Albania in December 1914.

[6] Upon entering the war, Italy spread its occupation to region of southern Albania beginning in the autumn 1916.

[6] After World War I ended, Italy withdrew its military forces on 2 September 1920 from Albania as a result of domestic crisis (biennio rosso), foreign pressure and a rebellion in Vlora.

I am wondering whether the general situation – particularly the Anschluss [with Austria] – does not permit us to take a step forward towards the more complete domination of this country, which will be ours."

and days later on 4 April of that year wrote "We must gradually underline the protectorate element of our relations with Albania".

The Albanian armed resistance proved ineffective against the Italians and, after a short defense, the country was occupied.

[19] Although Albania had been under strong Italian influence since 1927,[13][20][21] Italy's political leader, Benito Mussolini wanted direct control over the country to increase his and Italy's prestige, provide a response to Germany's annexation of Austria and occupation of Czechoslovakia, and to have firm control over Albania to station large forces of the Italian military for future operations involving Yugoslavia and Greece.

Victor Emmanuel III was proclaimed king of Albania, creating a personal union with Italy; he was represented in Tirana by a viceroy.

Later, during the High Middle Ages some coastal areas (like Durazzo) had been influenced and owned by Italian powers, chiefly the Kingdom of Naples and the Republic of Venice for many years (cf.

[28]: 106 Italy also attempted to legitimize and win public support for its rule over Albania by supporting Albanian irredentism, directed against the predominantly Albanian-populated Kosovo in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Epirus in Greece, particularly the border area of Chameria, inhabited by the Cham Albanian minority.

[9] Thus an author the Fascist Italian publication named Geopolitica claimed that the population of the Epirus-Acarnania region of Greece belonged to Albania due to it being racially Dinaric, and formed a 'single geographic system' with the Adriatic zone.

"[30] In October 1940, during the Greco-Italian War, Albania served as a staging-area for Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's unsuccessful invasion of Greece.

Mussolini planned to invade Greece and other countries like Yugoslavia in the area to give Italy territorial control of most of the Mediterranean Sea coastline, as part of the Fascists' objective of creating the objective of Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea") in which Italy would dominate the Mediterranean.

But the Albanian army under the command of colonel (later general) Prenk Pervizi[31] abandoned the Italians in combat, causing a major unraveling of their lines.

All of Albania returned to Italian control, which was also extended to most of Greece, which was jointly occupied by Italy, Germany and Bulgaria.

Around 200 Albanian Jews and 400 Jewish refugees resided in Albania proper prior to World War II.

The Jewish population of Kosovo fared comparatively worse as Italian authorities turned them over to the Germans where they were murdered or sent to camps in Albania.

[38] Between 70,000 and 100,000 Kosovar Serbs were transferred to concentration camps in Pristina and Mitrovica or expelled to Serbia proper, in order to Albanianize the province.

[39] The expulsion of Serbs proved problematic, as they had performed important functions in the region, and been running most of the businesses, mills, tanneries, and public utilities, and been responsible for most of the useful agricultural production.

[23] As a result, Italian companies were allowed to hold monopolies in the exploitation of Albanian natural resources.

At this time, Albania's economy had trade relations with 21 countries, but most developed were first to Italy and then to Yugoslavia, France, Germany, Greece, etc.

Despite the presence of some foreign (mainly Italian) investment, Albania had made little move towards industrial development at the onset of World War II.