23.07.2021 – 14:21
The US Ambassador to Albania, from February 1930 to September 1933, Herman Bernstein, witnessed a period when King Zog’s Albania was in the atmosphere of great efforts to preserve independence, amid Italy’s rivalry. , Yugoslavia and Greece./Konica.al
Bernstein, would be the Minister of the United States in Albania, until 1933. During this time, he worked for the signing of a series of treaties between the US and Albania, while receiving from King Zog, the medal “The Great Order” of Skanderbeg ”.
The following article from 1934, of the prestigious “New York Times”, is entitled “Little Albania, hostage to the great diplomatic game”.
While Albania is still in internal political conflicts, as a result of rivalries between the Great Powers and its neighbors, thanks to its geostrategic position, the detached fragment, written by a diplomat like Bernstein, comes as an old truth; confronting the American ambassadors in Albania of 80 years ago and those of the ’90s v
“… Albania is seen as one of the most dangerous areas in Europe.
The expected war could start from there, if the political and military interests of other nations for it will continue to conflict with each other. Thanks to its geographical position, this small country holds the keys to the Adriatic and has been the subject of controversy by other nations for centuries. From a strategic point of view its coast has invaluable value for Italy in an impending war. This was the reason that Italy has invested considerable sums in Albania, for the modernization of the country, the organization of the army, the construction of roads, bridges and fortifications.
From the Balkan countries, these efforts of Italy are seen as part of Mussolini’s ambitious imperialist program to penetrate the Balkans, to master the famous Roman road Via Egnatia, which leads to Thessaloniki and Istanbul. But all these movements of Italy are viewed with suspicion and concern by France, which supports the Lesser Entente and especially Yugoslavia.
Little Albania has thus become a hostage in the game of two conflicting blocs of European diplomacy, one led by Italy and the other by France. It has been able to take advantage of this conflict of interest to strengthen national unity, first from Yugoslavia and then from Italy.
Although aware of the secret motives of their aid, Albania, with wisdom and courage, has known how to preserve its independence, although it has had to make many sacrifices, make concessions and compromises, in exchange for the benefit of material aid. , so necessary to him. Although roads and bridges built with Italian money had military objectives they also served the economic development of the country, ensuring the communication of different areas of the country that, thanks to the pronounced mountainous character, had remained isolated since the time of rule. osman ”.”
