The political and diplomatic activity of the Vlora family on the eve of Albania’s independence
This paper examines the political and diplomatic activity of the Vlora fam-ily on the eve of Albania’s declaration of independence in November 1912, focusing particularly on the two most prominent figures of the family: Syr-ja Bey Vlora and Ismail Qemal Bey Vlora. As two key personalities of the Albanian political elite in the early 20th century, they carried out parallel, often competitive, and at times opposing activities in directing the national movement toward a political solution and the organization of a National As-sembly. The study analyzes the role of Syrja Bey Vlora in establishing diplo-matic contacts with Austria-Hungary, seeking to secure Vienna’s support for "Albania’s autonomy within the Ottoman Empire, or for its independence in case of the Ottoman state’s collapse under the pressure of the First Balkan War. Through various sources, the study highlights Syrja Bey Vlora’s role in encouraging the Albanian elite to organize a national assembly in one of the cities - Vlora, Durrës, or Elbasan - with the aim of coordinating the Albanian political response to the threat of territorial dismemberment by neighboring Balkan states. Syrja Bey Vlora’s efforts to mobilize Albanian leaders included intensive communications with the centers of southern and central Albania, as well as high-level meetings with personalities from the Austrian diplomatic corps. At the same time, the study examines the activity of Ismail Qemal, who undertook a diplomatic offensive in Vienna and Budapest with the aim of se-curing international support for Albania’s declaration of independence, free from any Ottoman influence. The study examines the numerous difficulties that hindered the convening of the Assembly in various cities, including local opposition, the lack of unified support, regional interests, and international interventions, as well as how these dynamics ultimately led to the gathering of the National Assembly in Vlora on November 28, 1912, under the leadership of Ismail Qemal. The analysis concludes that although both branches of the Vlora family contributed significantly to the state-building process, the lack of cooperation and political rivalry made national coordination difficult at a decisive historical moment. This rivalry reflects more broadly the character-istics of the Albanian political elite in the early 20th century, where personal and regional interests often prevailed over the national interest. The multiple obstacles that arose in cities such as Durrës, Tirana, and Elbasan - due to lo-cal opposition, religious tensions, regional interests, and direct or indirect in-terventions by foreign powers - ultimately led to the convening of the National Assembly in Vlora on November 28, 1912, under the leadership of Ismail Qemal. The study concludes that although both figures of the Vlora family contributed in different and significant ways to the Albanian state-building process, their political rivalry reflects the broader internal problems of the Albanian political elite of that period, where clashes between personal, fa-milial, and regional interests often negatively affected the national interest. Nevertheless, despite disagreements, their combined efforts and the pressure of historical circumstances led to the realization of one of the most important acts in Albanian history: the Declaration of Independence.