Austrian-Hungarian Military Administration in Albania During World War I

Abstract

In January 1916, the Austro-Hungarian Army took the offensive in the Balkans. The Austro-Hungarian troops entered Shkodra on 23 January, 1916, and during the course of the following months occupied Albanian territory up to the River Vjosa-Lake Ohrid in Southern Albania, controlling more than two-thirds of the country. The rest of the Albanian territory was occupied by Italian and Greek troops in the south, French troops in the southeast, and Bulgarian troops in parts of the east. Before crossing the border, the Austrians had declared that they were not coming as enemies but as friends and that Christians and Muslims would be protected in the same way. The occupied territory was considered a rear area that was to complete certain military duties. Despite the previous opinion announced in March 1916 stating the opposite, the approved regulation ordered the creation of a military administration on 19 April, 1916. This study analyses the establishment of the military administration in the occupied territories as well as some of the main measures undertaken during World War I in the Austrian-Hungarian occupied territories, including the registration of the population.