Northern Epirote Declaration of Independence

Northern Epirote Declaration of Independence

Part of the declaration of Independence document
Date	February 28-May 2, 1914
Location	Argyrokastron (Gjirokastër), Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus (Albania)
Participants	Provisional Government of Northern Epirus
Outcome	Uprising of "Northern Epirus" against incorporation to Albania, Protocol of Corfu

The Northern Epirote Declaration of Independence occurred on February 28, 1914, in Argyrokastron (Gjirokastër), against the decision of incorporation of Northern Epirus to the newly established Principality of Albania.^[1][2] The region of Northern Epirus, which corresponds to modern-day southern Albania, was already under the control of the Greek forces in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars, in 1913. However, the Protocol of Florence had assigned it to the newly established Albanian state, a decision that was rejected by the local Greek population.

As the Greek army withdrew to the new border, an assembly took place by the representatives of Northern Epirus in Argyrokastron. Since union of Northern Epirus with Greece was already dismissed by the Great Powers they decided that only autonomy or alternatively an international occupation would be appropriate for the region. Finally, Georgios Christakis-Zografos, the head of the assembly, declared the independence of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus.^[3] In a proclamation to the people of Northern Epirus told them that their aspirations were ignored, since the Great Powers had rejected self-government within the Albanian state. Negotiations between Albanian and Northern Epirote representatives at early May, and with the intervention of the Great Powers resulted in the Protocol of Corfu. According to this agreement, the regions of Argyrokastron and Korytsa (Korçë), which comprised Northern Epirus, would be an autonomous, fully self-governing part of Albania under the suzerainty of the Albanian prince. However, the Protocol, which recognized the Greek character of the region, was never implemented due to political instability in Albania that time.

Background

During the Balkan Wars, parts of modern southern Albania, known as Northern Epirus to Greeks, came under the control of the Greek forces, as a result of the Ottoman defeat in the Epirus front. However, the following Treaty of London and the Protocol of Florence, signed in December 1913, awarded the region to the newly established Principality of Albania. This decision by the Great Powers was unpopular among the local Greek population.^[2]

The Greek government raised concerns about the evacuation process and pointed to the European Great Powers that the newly established Albanian state was currently unable to secure the region immediately.^[4] Thus, in order to arrange the details of the evacuation with the International Control Commission, an organization set up by the Great Powers to secure peace and stability to the region, the Greek perfect of Corfu moved to Vlorë, where the provisional government of Albania was also based.^[5] Meanwhile, the local Greek authorities informed the Greek population that initiatives will be taken for the inclusion of all necessary provisions in Albanian legislation for the protection of their fundamental minority rights.^[5] The Greek authorities also warned the population of Korytsa (modern Korçë) that any action against incorporation to Albania would be fruitless and they assured that the Greek army will only hand over control of the region to regular Albanian units headed by Dutch officers of the International Commission. On the other hand, in case irregular Albanian bands showed up the Greek forces would immediately open fire.^[5]

Panepirotic Assembly

Before the evacuation of the Greek Army started, an assembly took place by the representatives of Northern Epirus (Greek: Πανηπειρωτική Συνδιάσκεψη, Panepirotic Assembly) in Argyrokastron (Gjirokastër) on February 13, 1914.^[5] Considering that union of Northern Epirus with Greece was already dismissed by the Great Powers the assembly decided that they would only accept local autonomy or failing that an international occupation.^[5] They also declared that the population of Northern Epirus feels betrayed by the Greek government which not only refused to provide them arms, but agreed to withdraw gradually in order to allow the Albanian forces to proceed to the occupation of Northern Epirus.^[5][6]

This triggered a series of events. Georgios Christakis-Zografos, a former Greek foreign minister and native of the region, arrived at Argyrokastron and discussed the situation with the local representatives. Thus, in order to secure the protection of the local population Zografos proposed to the European powers three options for Northern Epirus: full autonomy under nominal sovereignty of the Prince of Albania, large administrative or cantonal type autonomy based on a gendarmerie recruited exclusively among locals or direct control by the European Great Powers in a sufficient length until withdrawal would involve no danger.^[7] The Northern Epirote representatives aimed also at the complete respect of the educational and religious rights of the local population. Moreover, for the region of Himara they struggled to retain the same rights it had enjoyed during the Ottoman era.^[8] On February 22, Zografos sent a note to the representatives of the Great Powers where he addressed the present situation:^[9]

The Panepirotic Assembly gathered in Argyrokastro has charged us to request that you agree to call the attention of your Governments to the condition created for the Greek Orthodox Christians who have been put in Albania's possession by the declaration of the Powers.
The populace of Epirus truly believed it had the right to hope that Europe, tearing it away from Greece and stripping it of the freedom it had enjoyed for more than a year, would at least think to safeguard its existence and its ethnic heritage it was able to preserve intact through five centuries of harsh tyranny.

Such being the new State's composition in being made up of so many heterogeneous elements and without ethnic and religious cohesion, a special organization was required by it to be capable of dispelling misgivings, of safeguarding property, of mediating the aspirations of the now divided and mutually hostile elements and of allowing them to develop in peace and safety.
Nevertheless, we believe it is impossible for Europe to be ignorant of the fate that awaits the Greek populace it wishes to hand over to Albania - a populace whose number, according even to Ottoman statistics, is greater than 130,000 and which comprises the majority in the areas sacrificed...
Under these conditions and in the absence of a solution that would suffice to safeguard Epirus, a solution it would have been otherwise easy to discover, the Epirote populace is forced to declare to the Powers that it cannot submit to their decision. It will declare its independence and will struggle for its existence, its traditions and its rights.

The following week declarations of autonomy were proclaimed in a number of cities: Himara, Argyrokastron, Agioi Saranta (modern Sarandë) and Delvino (Delvinë).^[10]

Declaration

Picture of the declaration in Argyrokastron (Gjirokastër), May 1, 1914.

Consequently, on 28 February 1914, the Autonomous^[3] Republic of Northern Epirus was declared in Argyrokastron and a provisional Government was formed to support the state's objectives.^[6] Christakis-Zografos himself became president of the provisional government.^[11] Zografos in a proclamation to the people of Northern Epirus told them that their aspirations were ignored, the Great Powers had even denied them self - government within the Albanian state, while guarantees for the protection of life, property, religious freedom and of their ethnic existence. The proclamation also called upon the Epirotes to undergo every sacrifice in defending the integrity of Northern Epirus and its liberties from any attack whatsoever.^[5]

Epirotes:
Gathered in Argyrokastron, the Constituent Assembly of the delegates summoned by the will of the people has declared the formation of the Autonomous State of Northern Epirus, comprising the provinces the Greek Army is forced to abandon...

The declaration was also signed by the heads of the local Greek Orthodox metropolitan bishoprics: Vasileios of Dryinoupolis, Spyridon of Velas and Konitsa and Germanos of Korytsa (Korçë).^[11] On the day of the declaration Zografos notified the International Control Commission of his appointment as President of the provisional government and announced that the Epirotes would regard as an act of hostility and would resist any attempt by the newly founded Albanian gendarmerie to cross their border.^[11] Besides Argyrokastron, the Autonomous Northern Epirus also included Himara, Delvino, Agioi Saranta and Premeti.^[11]

On the same day Zografos sent a telegram to Korytsa urging the people to follow the example of the rest of the Northern Epirotes.^[12] However, on March 1, under the terms of the Protocol of Florence the town surrendered to the Albanian gendarmerie. The Greek Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, immediately ordered the withdrawal and hand over of the nearby region of Kolonjë to the Albanian units, before the population could join the uprising too. As a result, bishop Spyridon, who planned to become the head of the movement in this region, was arrested and expelled by the Greek authorities.^[13]

In his speech on 2 March,^[14] Zografos explained that the aspirations of the Northern Epirotes were completely ignored and the Great Powers not only rejected the possibility to become autonomous inside the Albanian state, but also refused to give even guarantees about their fundamental human rights.^[6] Zografos concluded that the Northern Epirotes, after five centuries of Ottoman occupation, would not accept the destiny which the Powers had imposed upon them.^[14]

The following days Alexandros Karapanos became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dimitrios Doulis Minister of War of the provisional government.^[11] Doulis, a native of Northern Epirus, had earlier resigned from his post as a Colonel of the Greek Army and joined the revolutionary forces of Northern Epirus.^[15] The Northern Epirote army reached the number of 5,000 men from the first days of its formation. Its core consisted mainly of former members of the Greek army, where a part of them was of local Epirote ancestry. With the support of irregular units of volunteers it reached a total manpower of c. 10,000.^[8]

Reactions

Map of Northern Epirus presented to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, by the exiled provisional government of Northern Epirus

The Greek army continued with the evacuation of the region, but the process slowed down in fear that a haste withdrawal may offer the opportunity to irregular bands to proceed to atrocities against the civilian population.^[4][16] As the official position of the Greek government towards the uprising was that of strict neutrality,^[7] Prime Minister Venizelos ordered the blockade of the port of Agioi Saranta and prohibited a demonstration in Athens in favor of the Northern Epirus uprising.^[1][7] However, it cannot be doubted that it sympathized with the demands of the Northern Epirotes. In fact the only way for Venizelos to stop this uprising was to declare martial law in the region but this action would have caused major political instability and the possible resignation of his government.^[17] The opposition parties in Greece accused Venizelos that he went beyond what was required of him by the decision of the Great Powers, and instead of simply evacuating the districts, he was handing them over to the Albanians and depriving the Epirotes of any means of resistance.^[18]

On the other hand, the Albanian government unable to deal with the Northern Epirus movement requested the Great Powers to take measures and claimed that although the Greek army evacuated the region it was replaced by guerrilla fighters organized by the Greek authorities.^[8] Meanwhile, on March 7, 1914, Prince William of Wied arrived in Albania and immediately ordered the Dutch Colonel Lodewijk Thomson to negotiate with the Northern Epirote representatives. Thompson met on March 10, with Karapanos and proposed a limited local administration for Northern Epirus under a Christian governor in addition to religious and educational rights. Thompson's initiative was dismissed from the Northern Epirote side.^[18]

Aftermath

Picture of the negotiations that lead to the Protocol of Corfu.

On April 11, Epirote revolutionaries took control of Korytsa, but four days later the Albanian gendarmery led by Dutch officers recaptured the city. As a result, the Dutch arrested and expelled the Greek Orthodox bishop Germanos, since they had proof that he was the chief instigator of the uprising, as well as other members of the town council.^[19] After the complete withdrawal of the Greek army from the region, at April 28, conflicts between the Northern Epirote forces and Albanian gendarmes broke out in several locations.^[20][21] At the following days the Epirotes managed control the town of Erseka, and they further advanced on Frashër and Korytsa.^[22]

Negotiations between Albanian and Northern Epirote representatives started again at early May,^[23] with the intervention of the Great Powers and the International Control Commission and resulted in the Protocol of Corfu. According to this agreement, the regions of Argyrokastron (Gjirokastër) and Korytsa (Korçë), which comprised Northern Epirus, would be an autonomous, fully self-governing part of Albania under the suzerainty of the Albanian prince.^[24] In general the Protocol recognized the Greek character of the region and the Greek language acquired an official status in Northern Epirus, next to the Albanian one.^[25][26] However, the Protocol was never implemented due to political instability in Albania.^[27] In 1921 the region was finally ceded to Albania, while the Albanian Prime Minister recognized a number of the Greek minority's rights, which were soon ignored. As a result most of the Greek schools were forced to close and Greek education was allowed only in certain areas.^[28]

References

1. Douglas, Dakin (1962). "The Diplomacy of the Great Powers and the Balkan States, 1908–1914". Balkan Studies 3: 372–374. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
2. Pentzopoulos, Dimitri (2002). The Balkan exchange of minorities and its impact on Greece. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-85065-702-6.
3. in Greek the term autonomos has a dual meaning, it can mean either independent or autonomous.
4. Stickney, 1926: p. 45
5. Kondis, 1976: p. 123
6. Kondis, 1976: p. 124
7. Stickney, 1926: p. 43
8. Stickney, 1926: p. 47
9. Pyrrhus J. Ruches. Albanian historical folksongs, 1716-1943: a survey of oral epic poetry from southern Albania, with original texts. Argonaut, 1967, p. 104.
10. Stickney, 1926: p. 42
11. Kondis, 1976: p. 125
12. Sakellariou 1997: p. 380
13. Kondis, 1976: p. 127
14. Boeckh 1996: 114
15. Stickney, 1926: p. 44
16. Kondis, 1976: p. 129
17. Kondis, 1976: p. 126
18. Kondis, 1976: p. 128
19. Kondis Basil, 1976, Greece and Albania, 1908-1914 p. 129-130: "Albanian gendarmerie under the command of Dutch Major Shneller managed to crush the revolt and to restore order. The Dutch, having proof that Metropolitan Germanos was chief instigator of the rising, arrested him and other members of the town council and sent them to Elbasan."
20. Boeckh, 1996, p. 115
21. Stickney, 1926: p. 46
22. Kondis, 1976: p. 130
23. Stickney, 1926: p. 48
24. O' Brien, 2008: p. 65-66
25. editor, Jonathan Stein, (2000). The Politics of National Minority Participation in Post-Communist Europe: State-Building, Democracy, and Ethnic Mobilization. Armonk, N.Y.: Sharpe. p. 171. ISBN 9780765605283. In May 1914, the Great Powers signed the Protocol of Corfu, which recognized the area as Greek
26. Castellan, Georges (1992). History of the Balkans : from Mohammed the Conqueror to Stalin. Boulder: East European Monographs [u.a.] p. 385. ISBN 9780880332224. ... the Protocol of Corfu (May 1914) gave a measure of autonomy to the region where the Greek language became the official language together with Albanian.
27. Sakellariou, 1997: p. 387
28. Winnifrith, Tom (2002). Badlands-borderlands: a history of Northern Epirus/Southern Albania. London: Duckworth. p. 135. ISBN 0-7156-3201-9.

Sources

• Boeckh, Katrin (1996). Von den Balkankriegen zum Ersten Weltkrieg: Kleinstaatenpolitik und ethnische Selbstbestimmung auf dem Balkan (in German). Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag. p. 418. ISBN 978-3-486-56173-9.
• Tara Ashley O' Brien. Manufacturing Homogeneity in the Modern Albanian Nation-Building Project. University of Budapest, 2008.
• Kondis, Basil (1976). Greece and Albania: 1908-1914. Thessaloniki: Institute for Balkan Studies, New York University.
• Sakellariou, M. V. (1997). Epirus, 4000 years of Greek history and civilization. Ekdotike Athenon. p. 480. ISBN 978-960-213-371-2.
• Stickney, Edith Pierpont (1926). Southern Albania or Northern Epirus in European International Affairs, 1912–1923. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-6171-0.