A görög-albán kapcsolatok története a 20. században - Greek-Albanian Relations in the 20th Century

Abstract

The Greek and the Albanian nations have been living close to each other approximately in the same territory for almost three thousand years. An ethnically mixed population had lived in the contact zone of the two nations (Epirus, or Chameria in Albanian) without any territorial disputes. Neither religious, nor language differences caused any serious conflicts between the Greeks and the Albanians until the 19th century when nationalism changed the political situation completely. However, Pan-Slavism and the decline of the Ottoman Empire prompted the cooperation of the two nations which was based on the Pelasg ideology, namely the common origin of the Greeks and the Albanians. Epirus was divided as a consequence of the Balkan Wars, and from that point, the status of minorities has poisoned the relationship between Albania and Greece. The author of the present article gives an overview of the historical antecedents and discusses the Greek-Albanian relations in the 20th century.

Keywords

• Greek
• Albanian
• diplomacy
• 20 th century
• Macedonia
• Northern Epirus