Kingdom of Albania On 1 September 1928, President Ahmet Zogu became Zog I, King of the Albanians and the Republican Guard changed its name to the "Royal Guard of Albania", with Captain Hysen Selmani appointed as its first commandant.

[1][2][3] While half the army was deployed around the capital to protect the central government from civil unrest, the Royal Guard was to protect the King from assassination and military coups.

Exile During The 1970's, hundreds of former members of the Albanian Royal Guard would go on to fight in the Rhodesian Bush War for Rhodesia under King Zog's son, Leka Zogu.

[4] It’s believed that Leka Zogu asked Ian Smith, the Rhodesian Prime Minister, for help in staging a coup to take back power in Communist Albania.

Smith declined, as the last thing he needed was being accused of financing a likely disastrous military coup in the highly militarized country of Albania.