The Issue of Ahmet İzzet Pasha's Candidacy for the Albanian Throne

Following the London Peace Conference negotiations, Albania gained independence in principle on 17 December 1912, with formal recognition by the Great Powers on 29 July 1913, ending Ottoman rule. This raised the question of who would ascend the Albanian throne. Marshal Ahmet & Idot;zzet Pasha emerged as a potential candidate due to his prominent Albanian family background and distinguished military career. Despite Ottoman efforts to install a Muslim ruler, & Idot;zzet Pasha rejected the offer for personal reasons.This study examines & Idot;zzet Pasha's candidacy within Albania's independence process (1912-1913), investigating Albanian nationalism's development after the Second Constitutional Era, the London Peace Conference decisions, and throne debates. It assesses the Committee of Union and Progress government's failed Albanian policies and the international dynamics shaping Albania's independence. The research reveals & Idot;zzet Pasha's political sensitivity and cautious stance, driven by concern for Albania's newly established state structure. The study draws on Ottoman archival documents, published memoirs, contemporary newspapers (Tasvir-i Efk & acirc;r, & Idot;kdam), and works by prominent researchers including Kristo Frash & euml;ri, Barbara Jelavich, Peter Bartl, R. C. Hall, Noel Malcolm, Stavro Skendi, and George W. Gawrych..