Luigi Manes Albanian units in the Second World War

On 16 April 1939 Victor Emmanuel III received the Crown of Albania at the Quirinal Palace. The "Land of the Eagles" and Fascist Italy would thus share a common destiny. Institutional changes were accompanied by the integration of the Albanian armed forces into the Italian ones. Albania managed to recreate an autonomous yet small army only after the Armistice of 8 September 1943. From that date the Germans, interested in controlling the territory and safeguarding the neutrality of the Balkan State, relied on the support of local anti-partisan militias and proceeded to recruit a few thousand Albanians, many of whom were Kosovars, into mountain units of the Waffen-SS. On the opposing side the Albanian Resistance, which also counted in its ranks various formations made up of Italian soldiers, strengthened gradually.