Independent Albania (Albanian: Shqipëria e Pavarur) was a parliamentary state declared in Vlorë (at the time part of Ottoman Empire) on 28 November 1912 during the First Balkan War.

The requests by the delegation for recognition based on the ethnic rights of Albanians were rejected and the treaty signed on 30 May 1913 partitioned a major part of the claimed lands between Serbia, Greece and Montenegro, leaving as independent territory only a central region, which was put under the protection of the Great Powers.

Finally, with the Treaty of Bucharest being signed in August 1913, this new independent state was established, leaving about 40%[2] of the ethnic Albanian population outside its borders.

[18] During the First Balkan War the kingdoms of Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro aspired to incorporate the entire region into their states (completely denying the Albania's independence), so most of the captured territory was occupied by their armies.

[26] Besides, the Kingdom of Serbia opposed the plan for an Albanian vilayet, preferring a partition of the European territory of the Ottoman Empire among the four Balkan allies.

They decided that Albanians should "unite fully with the Ottoman government against the enemies of the Empire" because "if Turkey is defeated, the Balkan states would shred Albania.

[32] At the beginning of November 1912, Albanian leaders appealed to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, explaining the difficult situation in their country because parts of the four vilayets were also claimed by the Balkan League who were present on the disputed lands.

[35] Ismail Kemal invited the representatives of all parts of Albanian Vilayet to attend the All-Albanian Congress[36][37] held in Vlorë on November 28, 1912.

[43][44] New Serbian authorities were faced with big difficulties in governing a new county because all secluded army garrisons with small number of soldiers were destroyed in a couple of days.

[52] In March 1913 a group of 130 (or 200) soldiers of the Kingdom of Serbia were killed near Prizren by Albanian irregulars in act of revenge for repression of Serbian army.

[57] After it became obvious that Ottoman Empire would lose all of Macedonia and its territorial connection with Albania, the Great Powers realized they had to change their decision.

[60] Kemal ordered a simultaneous attack of the Albanian forces led by Isa Boletini and Bajram Curri to the region of Prizren.

[62] Local Albanians and Bulgarians expelled the Serbian army and officials, creating a front line 15 km east of Ohrid.

[64] On 16 October 1913, Essad Pasha Toptani—who also had been an Albanian deputy in the Ottoman parliament—established the Republic of Central Albania with its administrative centre in Durrës.

[69] At the beginning of the session Ismail Kemal emphasized that the only way to prevent division of the territory of Albania between the Balkan allies was to establish it as independent state, separated from Ottoman Empire.

[75] The establishment of the government was postponed for the fourth session of the Assembly of Vlorë, held on 4 December 1912, until representatives of all regions of Albania arrived to Vlore.

[80] On the same session held on 4 December 1912 the assembly appointed the other members of the government:[81] A week after the independent Albania was proclaimed, its first Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs was established with Lef Nosi as its minister.

Independent Albania took over the Ottoman post offices and placed significant efforts to make the Albanian postal service identifiable.

Transactions occurred in gold and silver coins of other countries, whereas the official unit of account was the franc of the Latin Monetary Union.

The first director of the Albanian Police was Halim Jakova-Gostivari, whereas the first commanders of the gendarmerie were Alem Tragjasi, Hysni Toska, Sali Vranishti, and Hajredin Hekali.

[94] The economy of Albania after it became independent state in 1912 was based on primitive agriculture and livestock, with no significant industry, and little international trade.

[95] Starting in 1912, Albania began activities aimed at implementing an agrarian reform, which would transfer ownership of the arable land from the big landowners to the peasants.

[100]The Great Powers refused to recognize the Provisional Government of Albania and, instead, organized the International Commission of Control (ICC) to take care of the administration of the newly established principality until the arrival of the new monarch.

[105] A plot by the Young Turk government and led by Bekir Fikri to restore Ottoman control over Albania through the installment of an Ottoman-Albanian officer Ahmed Izzet Pasha as monarch was uncovered by the Serbs and reported to the ICC.

[107][106][111] During Fikri's trial the plot emerged and an ICC military court under Colonel Willem de Veer condemned him to death[111] and later commuted to life imprisonment,[107] while Kemal and his cabinet resigned.

[113] In 1914, after a gradual assumption of the administration of the country, the International Commission of Control prepared a draft of the constitution (Albanian: Statuti Organik) with 216 articles.

[127] ... the Conference nevertheless awarded the Balkan allies large areas of Albanian-claimed territory... A major part of northern and western Albania went to Serbia and Montenegro, while Greece received the large southern region of Chameria, leaving the Albanian state reduced to the central regions ..."Shoqëria e Zezë për Shpëtim".

"..Ky mendim ishte i urtë nga njëra anë, por paraqiste rreziqe nga ana tjetër: sikur të thyhej Turqia, siç u thye, Shqiptarët do të pësonin fatin e saj, ose të paktën do t'iu jepnin shtetevet ballkanikë një arësye më shumë përpara fuqivet të mëdha për t'a copëtuar Shqipërinë si një krahinë turke.....Natyrisht, Turqia i mobilizoi Shqiptarët, por këta luftuan më fort për të mprojtur vendin e tyre kundër fqinjëvet,......Balkan armies occupied Albanian territory... Kemal.. spoke with Habsburg foreign minister, Leopold von Berchtold, ... secured Habsburg support, but for Albanian autonomy rather than independence.....Ismail Kemal bey... took the floor and explained... that they all must strive to do what is necessary to save Albania from the great perils it is now facing.... they began by checking the documents......Albanians had ... uprisings that had taken ... in particular over the last four years, to preserve their rights and customs ... all the steps needed to appease and satisfy the Albanians..

It provided for the establishment of national assembly,...composed of three representatives from...seven administrative districts... chosen by direct suffrage,... heads of three churches and ten nominees of the prince.

.... a four year... ministers ..appointed by the princeMonastir: Zyhdi Ohri, Myrteza Ali Struga, Nuri Sojliu, Hamdi Ohri, Mustafa Baruti, Dervish Hima, Vehbi Dibra, Sherif Langu, Hajdar Blloshmi Shkodër: Abaz Çelkupa, Mustafa Hanxhiu, Jahja Ballhysa, Nikoll Kaçorri, Lef Nosi, Shefqet Dajiu, Qemal Karaosmani, Dervish Biçaku, Luigj Gurakuqi, Pandeli Cale, Thanas Floqi, Spiridon Ilo, Mustafa Merlika-Kruja, Qemal Mullaj, Ferid Vokopola, Nebi Sefa, Ahmet bej Zogolli, Riza Zogolli, Kurt Agë Kadiu, Abdi Toptani, Murad Toptani, Mahmud Efendi Kaziu, Xhemal Deliallisi, Ymer Deliallisi, Ibrahim Efendiu, Xhelal Koprëncka; Hajredin Cakrani, Fehim Mezhgorani; Janina: Elmas Boçe, Veli Harçi, Mufid Libohova, Petro Poga, Jani Papadhopulli, Ismail Qemali Gramshi, Kristo Meksi, Aristidh Ruçi, Veli Gërra, Jakup Veseli, Rexhep Demi, Azis Tahir Ajdonati, Sami Vrioni, Ilias Vrioni, Dhimitër Tutulani, Babë Dud Karbunara, Avni Bey Delvina, Ismail Kemal, Zihni Abaz Kanina, Zyhdi Vlora, Qazim Kokoshi, Jani Minga, Eqrem Vlora, Veli Këlcyra, Syreja Vlora; Monastir: Vehbi Dibra Shkoder: Hajredin Cakrani, Shefqet Dajiu, Dervish Biçaku, Xhelal Koprëncka, Mustafa Merlika-Kruja, Murad Toptani, Janina: Babë Dud Karbunara, Veli Këlcyra, Kristo Meksi, Eqrem Vlora, Ilias Vrioni, Sami Vrioni,