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Draft:Albanian-Greek border war

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The Albanian-Greek Border War also known as the provocations of August 49[1] was a military conflict between the People's Socialist Republic of Albania and the Kingdom of Greece that took place during the Cold War-era.[2][3] As incidents increased on the Albanian-Greek border, the First Border War finally broke out on August 2, 1949 between the Albanian People's Army (UPSh) and the Greek National Army (GNA) which lasted until September 5.[4]

Albanian–Greek Border War (1949)
Part of the Cold War and the Greek Civil War
Date2 August - 5 September 1949
(1 month and 4 days)
Location
Result Communist Albanian victory
Territorial
changes
Albania regains all lost territories
Belligerents
People's Socialist Republic of Albania Albania Greece Kingdom of Greece
Supported by:
 United States[5][6]
 United Kingdom[5]
 Yugoslavia[7]
Commanders and leaders
People's Socialist Republic of Albania Enver Hoxha (First Secratary of the Party of Labour of Albania)
Albania Mehmet Shehu (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
Albania Beqir Balluku (Minister of People's Defence)
Greece Konstantinos Tsaldaris (Prime Minister of Kingdom of Greece)[8]
United States General James Van Fleet[9]
Units involved
Albanian People's Army
Air Force of the Albanian People's Army
Hellenic Army
Hellenic Air Force
Supported by:
US Navy[9]
Strength
Albania 10,000 troops[10][11]
Albania 30,000 reservists[nb 1][11][10]
Greece 70,000 troops[10][12]
Greece 50 aircraft[10]
Greece 80 tanks[10]
Greece 400 artillery[10]
Casualties and losses
29-100+ killed[11]
89 wounded[citation needed]
350 killed[13]
500 wounded[14]
270 POW

Background

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At the beginning of the year, the number of provocations increased rapidly. Albania was repeatedly attacked by land, air and sea.[12] The area along the border, from Vidohova in Devolli to Konispol in Sarandë, was at risk. It was clear that the Kingdom of Greece had a clear war plan. In 1949, Yugoslavia, United States, and United Kingdom became a supporters of the idea.[15][16][17]

Road to the border war

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First Battles

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On August 2, 1949, a group together from 3 battalions of Greek soldiers violated the border area in Albania.[18][19] The National Army initiated artillery bombardment on the Albanian border area of Vidohovë.[20][21] The Albanian government, led by Enver Hoxha, accused the Greeks of being war advocates and said that the Greeks' aim was to annex southern Albania.[22]

Notes

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  1. ^ kept in reserve near the Greek attack line

Bibliography

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  • Xholi, Zija; Vejsiu, Ylli; Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë, eds. (2009). N - Zh. Fjalor enciklopedik shqiptar / [recensentë, Zija Xholi, Ylli Vejsiu] (Botim i ri ed.). Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë. ISBN 978-99956-10-32-6.
  • Për popullin, me popullin (in French). Albania: botim i Ministrisë së Punëve të Brendshme të Republikës Popullore të Shqipërisë. 1973. p. 26.
  • B. Bare, Themi (1966). Provokacione dhe komplote kundër Republikës Popullore të Shqipërisë (in Albanian). Albania: Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Fakulteti Histori-Filologji. p. 94.

References

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  1. ^ Për popullin, me popullin (in French). Albania: botim i Ministrisë së Punëve të Brendshme të Republikës Popullore të Shqipërisë. 1973. p. 26. Des décorations sont decernés aux soldats, auteurs de hauts faits pour pour la défense de la patrie lors des provocations monarcho-fascistes de 1949 (French) Decorations are awarded to soldiers, authors of high deeds for the defense of the fatherland during the monarcho-fascist provocations of 1949 (English)
  2. ^ Konferenca Kombëtare e Studimeve Shoqërore (in Albanian). Albania: Shtëpia Botuese "Naim Frashëri". 1970. p. 95.
  3. ^ B. Bare, Themi (1966). Provokacione dhe komplote kundër Republikës Popullore të Shqipërisë (in Albanian). Albania: Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Fakulteti Histori-Filologji. p. 94.
  4. ^ Zotaj, Bernard (2021). "August 1949: Provocation or military aggression?" (PDF). Central Publication of the Ministry of Defense. 16 (9): 9.
  5. ^ a b Konferenca Kombëtare e Studimeve Shoqërore 1970, p. 95.
  6. ^ Mara, Hekuran (1963). Periudha e kalimit dhe veçoritë e ndërtimit socialist në R.P.SH (in Albanian). University of California: Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Fakulteti i Ekonomisë. p. 55. me provokacionet e vitit 1949, te organizuara kunder vendit tone nga imperializmi amerikano-englez dhe monarko fashistêt greke (Albanian) with the provocations of 1949, organized against our country from American-British imperialists and fascist monarchs greek (English)
  7. ^ Themi 1966, p. 94.
  8. ^ ""A Greek plane flying in the villages of Hoxhaj and Markat, was shot down by Albanian forces in the area of Finiq and the". Memorie.al. 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  9. ^ a b Third Blue Book on the Anglo-American Intervention on the Monarcho-fascist Regime on the People's Struggle for Liberty. Democratic Organisations of Greece. 1950. p. 39.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "Gusht 1949, Greqia sulmoi ushtarakisht Shqipërinë". fishmedia (in Albanian). 29 December 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Besnik Danaj: Kufitari nga Progonati që ra heroikisht në 2 gusht 1949". telegraf.al (in Albanian). August 5, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Kujtojmë Agresionin , 2 Gusht '49". 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  13. ^ Lalaj, Ana (2019). "The Implications of the Albanian State in the Civil Warn in Greece 1946-1949" (PDF). Studime Historike. 27: 215. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Gazeta Ushtria". Ministry of Defence (Albania). 2015.
  15. ^ "Studies in the history of the Greek Civil War, 1945-1949". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  16. ^ Mara, Hekuran (1963). Periudha e kalimit dhe veçoritë e ndërtimit socialist në R.P.SH (in Albanian). Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës, Fakulteti i Ekonomisë.
  17. ^ Konferenca Kombëtare e Studimeve Shoqërore. 1970. p. 95.
  18. ^ Mourelos, Iōannēs; Michaēlidēs, Iakōbos D., eds. (2007). O Ellēnikos Emphylios Polemos: mia apotimēsē: politikes, ideologikes, istoriographikes proektaseis (2. ekd ed.). Athēna: Ellēnika Grammata. ISBN 978-960-442-961-5. Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση έδωσε μάλιστα η αλβανική πλευρά στο επεισόδιο της 2ας Αυγούστου . Όπως είναι γνωστό , στις αρχές Αυγούστου , μία ομάδα Ελλήνων στρατιωτών παραβίασε τα ελληνοαλβανικά σύνορα και εισήλθε στο εσωτερικό της χώρας (Greek) The Albanian side put particular emphasis on the episode of August 2nd. As is known, at the beginning of August, a group of Greek soldiers violated the Greek-Albanian border and entered the interior of the country. (English)
  19. ^ Bernard Zotaj, p. 9.
  20. ^ Xholi, Zija; Vejsiu, Ylli; Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë, eds. (2009). N - Zh. Fjalor enciklopedik shqiptar / [recensentë, Zija Xholi, Ylli Vejsiu] (Botim i ri ed.). Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë. ISBN 978-99956-10-32-6.
  21. ^ New Times. Newspaper "Trud". 1949. p. 14.
  22. ^ Dalianēs, Menelaos V. (2008). To megalo anoigma (in Greek). Greece: Polytypo. p. 13. ISBN 9789608740297. Από τη δική της πλευρά η αλβανική κυβέρνηση απαντά με τα ίδια μέσα . Κατηγορεί την ελληνική κυβέρνηση ως φιλοπόλεμη , ότι βάζει σε κίνδυνο την ειρήνη στα Βαλκάνια , ότι οι διεκδική- σεις της για προσάρτηση της Νότιας Αλβανίας , που αυτή ... (Greek) For its part, the Albanian government responds with the same means. He accuses the Greek government of being pro-war, of endangering peace in the Balkans, of its claims for the annexation of Southern Albania, which it... (English)