Albanian Kingdom

The Albanian Kingdom was the official name of Albania between 1928 and 1939. It was established when the Albanian parliament declared the country a monarchy and President Ahmet Bej Zogu was proclaimed Zog I, ending the republic and opening a constitutional era that was royal in form and authoritarian in practice, the king holding the executive, the legislature and the sword at once. Zog's reign saw efforts to modernise the country, legal reforms and infrastructure, though the habits of his presidency carried over and opposition was confined to exile. The kingdom kept close relations with Fascist Italy, which gave financial and military support, but Albanian dependence on Rome grew through the 1930s until Italy invaded on 7 April 1939 and set up a protectorate, with Victor Emmanuel III taking the Albanian crown. Zog fled into exile, and was formally deposed after the Second World War by the communist regime. Most of Europe's states still recognised him as Albania's lawful king.