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Albanian nationalism

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See also: National Renaissance of Albania
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Albanian nationalism (also known as Albanianism[1][2][3][4][5] or Pan-Albanianism[6][7]) refers to nationalist Albanian ideologies and theories that were cemented during Communist Albania (1945-1991), its continuation into modern Albania, as well as its proliferation in Kosovo.

Much like all other nationalist theories, Albanian ones seek to legitimize the presence of Albanian populations in Albania itself but also Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia and Greece (especially Epirus) and similarly de-legitimize the presence of Slavic and Greek (and, sometimes, Vlach) populations in what is perceived as intrinsically Albanian territory, even if outside the modern Albanian state(s) - terra irredenta. As such, historical and archaeological theories that explain a continuous presence in what is presently Albanian territory (supposed descent from/connection to "Pelasgians", "Illyrians", "Epirotes", "Macedonians" or "Etruscans" and perceived continuity in material culture that proves a "national" continuity) are frequently employed, many of them based on scholarly theories formed mostly in the last 200 years; the evolution and/or rejection of such theories is not necessarily followed when damaging to Albanian nationalism (see, for example, the eventual linguistic rejection of Pan-Illyrism or the "Pelasgian-Illyrian" connection - an unknown quantity).

Origins of Albanian nationalism

Evolution under the People's Republic of Albania (1945-1991)

In Communist Albania, an Illyrian national identity (without denying Pelasgian roots[8] which has been revitalized today[9]) also began to play a significant role in Albanian nationalism,[10] resulting in a revival of given names suppposedly of "Illyrian" origin, at the expense of given names associated with Christianity. At first, Albanian nationalist writers opted for the Pelasgians as the forefathers of the Albanians, but as this form of nationalism flourished in communist Albania under Enver Hoxha, the Pelasgians became a secondary element[11] to the Illyrian theory of Albanian origins, which could claim some support in scholarship.[12] The Illyrian descent theory soon became one of the pillars of Albanian nationalism, especially because it could provide some evidence of continuity of an Albanian presence both in Kosovo and in southern Albania, i.e., areas that were subject to ethnic conflicts between Albanians, Serbs and Greeks.[13]. Under the regime of Enver Hoxha, an autocthonous ethnogenesis[14] was promoted and physical anthropologists[14] tried to demonstrate that Albanians were different from any other Indo-European populations, a theory now disproved.[15] Communist-era Albanian archaeologists claimed[14] that ancient Greek poleis, gods, ideas, and culture were wholly Illyrian. They claimed that the Illyrians were the most ancient people[14][16] in the Balkans and greatly extended the age of the Illyrian language.[14][17] This is continued in post-communist Albania[14] and has spread to Kosovo.[14][18] Nationalist theories developed during communism have survived largely intact into the present day.[14] Pyrrhus of Epirus[19] and the ancient Epirotes are were included as Albanians as well.

Post-communist era developments


Influence on movement toward Kosovan secessionism

File:Flag of Kosovo-Dardania.svg
Proposed flag by the President Ibrahim Rugova for Kosovo prior to independence with Dardania as the name.

This ideology has spread to Kosovo.[14][20] They have also been brought up to believe that their nation is the oldest in the Balkans, directly descended from the ancient Dardanians,[21] a branch of the so-called Illyrians who had allegedly inhabited the region for many centuries before the arrival of the Slavic 'interlopers'. Some Kosovar Albanians refer to Kosovo as Dardania. The former Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova[22][23] had been an enthusiastic backer of a "Dardanian" identity and its flag and presidential seal refer to this national identity. However, it is not recognised by any international power and the name "Kosova" remains more widely used among the Albanian population. The name change and the ideology that goes with it has the intention of a weapon against Serbian historical rights by the use of revanchism.[24] Albanians in Kosovo believe that they are the direct descendants of the Illyrians,[25] that they were the first Christians in Europe,[26] and that St. Paul had been in "Dardania" first[27]

References

  1. ^ The Crescent and the Eagle: Ottoman Rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874-1913 (Library of Ottoman Studies) by George Gawrych,2006,page 20: "... dynamic that would remain essential for understanding the development of Albanianism."
  2. ^ Kosovo: War and Revenge by Mr. Tim Judah and Tim Judah, 2002, page 12, the religion of Albanians is Albanianism
  3. ^ The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World by Joel Krieger, 2001, page 475: "... frequently then and since, "The religion of the Albanians is Albanianism.
  4. ^ One World Divisible: A Global History Since 1945 (The Global Century Series) by David Reynolds, 2001, page 233: "... the country." Henceforth, Hoxha announced, the only religion would be "Albanianism. ..."
  5. ^ Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, Albanian Identities: Myth and History, Indiana University Press, 2002, ISBN-9780253341891, page 92 & (100)-(102)-(132)
  6. ^ The Balkans: A Post-Communist History by Bideleux/Jeffri, 2006, page 423, "... form a 'Greater Albania'. Although considerable attention was given to pan-Albanianism in the West"
  7. ^ Pan-Albanianism: How Big a Threat to Balkan Stability (Central and Eastern European) by Miranda Vickers, 2004, ISBN-10-190442368X
  8. ^ Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, Albanian Identities: Myth and History, Indiana University Press, 2002, ISBN-9780253341891, page 96, "but when Enver Hoxha declared that their origin was Illyrian (without denying their Pelasgian roots), no one dared participate in further discussion of the question".
  9. ^ Anthropological Journal of European Cultures, 2009, Gilles de Rapper, "The Pelasgians are nonetheless coming back today. Lots of publications by professional or amateur historians and linguists are revitalising the Pelasgic theory. They are widely read and commented, not only among scholars and specialists. The re-using of the old theories is a complex phenomenon, linking in various ways Pelasgians, Illyrians, Etruscans, Greeks and Albanians, according to various motivations and using various kinds of evidence".
  10. ^ ISBN 960-210-279-9 Miranda Vickers, The Albanians Chapter 9. "Albania Isolates itself" page 196, "From time to time the state gave out lists with pagan, supposed Illyrian or newly constructed names that would be proper for the new generation of revolutionaries."
  11. ^ Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, Albanian Identities: Myth and History, Indiana University Press, 2002, ISBN-9780253341891, page 96, "but when Enver Hoxha declared that their origin was Illyrian (without denying their Pelasgian roots) no one dared participate in further discussion of the question."
  12. ^ Madrugearu A, Gordon M. The wars of the Balkan peninsula. Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. p.146.
  13. ^ Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, Albanian Identities: Myth and History, Indiana University Press, 2002, ISBN 9780253341891, p. 118.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i The practice of Archaeology under dictatorship, Michael L. Galary & Charles Watkinson, Chapter 1, page 8-17
  15. ^ Belledi et al. (2000) Maternal and paternal lineages in Albania and the genetic structure of Indo-European populations
  16. ^ The Balkans - a post-communist history by Robert Bideleux & Ian Jeffries, Routledge, 2007, ISBN-0415229626, page 23, "they thus claim to the be oldest indigenous people of the western Balkans".
  17. ^ The Balkans - a post-communist history by Robert Bideleux & Ian Jeffries, Routledge, 2007, ISBN-0415229626, page 26.
  18. ^ The Balkans - a post-communist history by Robert Bideleux & Ian Jeffries, Routledge, 2007, ISBN-0415229626, page 513, "Ethnic Albanians not only comprise the vast majority of the population in Kosova. They have also been brought up to believe that their nation is the oldest in the Balkans, directly descended from the ancient Dardanians (Dardanae), a branch of the so-called 'Illyrian peoples' who had allegedly inhabited most of the western Balkanas including Kosova) for many centuries before the arrival of the Slavic 'interlopers'...".
  19. ^ Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, Albanian Identities: Myth and History, Indiana University Press, 2002, ISBN-9780253341891, page 92.
  20. ^ The Balkans - a post-communist history by Robert Bideleux & Ian Jeffries, Routledge, 2007, ISBN-0415229626, page 513, "Ethnic Albanians not only comprise the vast majority of the population in Kosova. They have also been brought up to believe that their nation is the oldest in the Balkans, directly descended from the ancient Dardanians (Dardanae), a branch of the so-called 'Illyrian peoples' who had allegedly inhabited most of the western Balkanas including Kosova) for many centuries before the arrival of the Slavic 'interlopers'...".
  21. ^ The Balkans - a post-communist history by Robert Bideleux & Ian Jeffries, Routledge, 2007, ISBN-0415229626, page 513, "Ethnic Albanians not only comprise the vast majority of the population in Kosova. They have also been brought up to believe that their nation is the oldest in the Balkans, directly descended from the ancient Dardanians (Dardanae), a branch of the so-called 'Illyrian peoples' who had allegedly inhabited most of the western Balkanas including Kosova) for many centuries before the arrival of the Slavic 'interlopers'...".
  22. ^ Kosovo: what everyone needs to know by Tim Judah, ISBN-0195376730, 2008, page 31, "But this is not without controversy given the Slavic origin of the name. After all if the root of Kosovo's name Slav that would seem to contradict the Albanian argument that they lived here before the Serbs and that Kosovo belongs to them. This was a point which Ibrahim Rugova the Kosovo Albanian leader who died in January 2006 had considerable sympathy. He thus toyed with the idea of renaming Kosovo Dardania after the ancient Illyrian tribe supposed to have lived in Kosovo in antiquity.Hence while the official flag of the president of Kosovo has at its center Scanderbegs double headed eagle it also has the name Dardania emblazoned across it. For some time a banner celebrating Rugova as president of Dardania hung from a ministry building in Pristina with a picture of Rugova and a declaration commemorating him as president of Dardania. far as partisans of Dardania are concerned this theory has added historical cum political advantage. They argue that the ancient Dardanians were ancestors of the Albanians but more important in this context Roman catholics.Thus they argue Albanians were historically part of the western civilization and their churches were usurped and turned into Orthodox ones by the invading Slavs who were not."
  23. ^ Flag of Dardania
  24. ^ Kosovo: what everyone needs to know by Tim Judah, ISBN-0195376730, 2008, page 31, "But this is not without controversy given the Slavic origin of the name. After all if the root of Kosovo's name Slav that would seem to contradict the Albanian argument that they lived here before the Serbs and that Kosovo belongs to them. This was a point which Ibrahim Rugova the Kosovo Albanian leader who died in January 2006 had considerable sympathy. He thus toyed with the idea of renaming Kosovo Dardania after the ancient Illyrian tribe supposed to have lived in Kosovo in antiquity. Hence while the official flag of the president of Kosovo has at its center Scanderbegs double headed eagle it also has the name Dardania emblazoned across it. For sometime a banner celebrating Rugova as president of Dardania hung from a ministry building in Pristina with a picture of Rugova and a declaration commemorating him as president of Dardania. As far as partisans of Dardania are concerned this theory has added historical cum political advantage. They argue that the ancient Dardanians were ancestors of the Albanians but more important in this context Roman catholics.Thus they argue Albanians were historically part of the western civilization and their churches were usurped and turned into Orthodox ones by the invading Slavs who were not."
  25. ^ Ghosts of Kosovo Volume 60 Number 4, July/August 2007 by Beth Kampschror
  26. ^ Ghosts of Kosovo Volume 60 Number 4, July/August 2007 by Beth Kampschror
  27. ^ Ghosts of Kosovo Volume 60 Number 4, July/August 2007 by Beth Kampschror.

See also

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