Albania gained independence from Turkey in August 1894, after the Albanians took inspiration from the Hungarians, Bulgarians, Dalmatians and others who rose up against the Ottoman Empire. The Albanians, however, were aided by troops from the Two Sicilies, who saw this as an opportunity to gain a foothold on the Balkans, and not least, to gain access to the newly-discovered and newly-exploited coal, chromium and oil mines. In the following month, September 1894, Albania was proclaimed a protectorate of the Two Sicilies.
During the First Great War, Albania was used as a start-off point for the Duesicilian armies in their fights against Montenegro and Turkey, who still held on to Greece.
Albania remained a protectorate of the Two Sicilies through the Second Great War and Albanian troops fight in all-Albanian units (though commanded by Sicilian officers) alongside Sicilian forces.
After the Second Great War, Albania is granted independence by the Two Sicilies for reasons not yet clear. There is a brief civil war, at the end of which Jashar Zogu is crowned King Zog in 1948, despite the efforts of the newly communist Confederation of Soviet Danubian States to achieve a communist victory; the communist movement was far too small in Albania to win, even with what (little) help the CSDS could give.
The Kingdom of Albania then pursues a very anti-communist policy, outlawing the Caommunist Party and executing its leader and most prominent figure, Enver Hoxha, in 1955. During this time agents of the CSDS's intelligence agency, Direktorija 3 (D3) are inserted into Albania in an attempt to overthrow King Zog and to apply other forms of internal pressure on the monarchy, spreading discontent through the country. Internal dissent mounts, aided by the country's poor economic situation (this despite the fact that it is Europe's largest chromium producer), until finally the pressure is so great that elections are held in June 1960.
The elections of 1960 are a landslide victory for the New Albania Party (NAP), a centrist party who try to put the new Republic of Albania on a more neutral course. The CSDS welcomes this development (superficially at least), but D3 operations continue inside Albania, though to a lesser extent. After the new government passes several laws which the CSDS dislikes, the D3 begin another campaign of subversion inside Albania, which results in the government scrapping the "questionable" laws. After this point Albania ceases to pursue an independent foreign policy, rather it echoes CSDS policies. In 1964 a new election is scheduled, which leads to a 99.3% victory for the NAP amid opposition protests of ballot-box stuffing and other irregularities. Riots break out, and martial law is declared. The military is in power since then.
After the fall of the CSDS and the Great Balkan War, Albania's military junta makes overtures to the new Republic of Dalmatia about the joining Dalmatia in some form of confederation. Dalmatia refuses this, but friendly relations do form between the two countries. After the successful Islamic revolution in Sanjak in May 1991, the radical elements of the Albanian Muslim community try to establish an Islamic republic in Albania as well, aided by a small number of mostly Turkish and Saudi mujaheddin. The attempted revolution failed for several reasons. Firstly, Albania was already far too secular. Secondly, the Albanian Catholic community fought back hard against the fundamentalist Muslims, aided by Dalmatia, who had by this time come to view itself as Europe's main line of defence against Islamism.
Albania continues to have good relations with Dalmatia.
