Prologue: Invasion

September 1, 1928

He had done it.

Ahmed Zogu trembled with anticipation as his car made its way along the parade route towards Skanderbeg Square and the Parliament building. Absentmindedly he adjusted his olive green uniform, conscious of the cameras that he had arranged for this momentous achievement. Years of work had gone into this moment, his family, his tribe, his nation's future had all hung in the balance but now it was assured. Having come to power at with the help of the Serbs of all people, he would now be enshrined as Albania's king by their mortal enemies the Italians. As a small, underdeveloped, and mountainous nation situated between the two, Albania's only way forward had been to play the Slavs and Italians off one another. Unlike many of his countrymen, he'd seen the reality of the situation and had taken the reins to ensure the nation did just that. Now his foresight and leadership were about to be rewarded.

And rightly so.

Though in the back of his mind, he worried about the potential of yet another attempt on his life, he knew that the city had been swept thoroughly and the parade route secured. The streets had been cleared of spectators and the houses with windows facing them had all been temporarily evacuated and forced to display the national flag. Furthermore his car, while open topped, was flanked by his mounted guards, all of them valiant sons of Mati. He had taken every possible measure to ensure that this moment would not be taken from him.

As the car came to a stop, the soon-to-be King of the Albanians forced his trembling legs to move. After shaking hands with Pandeli Evangjeli, the Speaker of the Constituent Assembly he moved up the steps of the Parliament through the door and towards the dias where he was to be crowned king. Despite rehearsing the ceremony several times, right hand nearly faltered while supporting the constitution. Fortunately the cheers that erupted from the crowded room, filled with local notables and dignitaries restored his courage. Anknowledging them with a deep bow he placed his hands on his nation's holy books and took a deep breath. As the guns sounded their planned salute he opened his mouth…

…

But the words that came out were not his. They were the ones he had written and gone over dozens of times, but they were not his words.

In a blind panic he tried to stop

To move his arms,

His eyes,

To do anything.

He couldn't.

He was trapped.

A demon of some sort now was in control of his body. Acting just as he would have acted and speaking just as he spoke, with his voice. To what end, Zogu didn't know. All he did know is that his actions had caught the attention of the evil eye which had condemned him to imprisonment at the very moment of his greatest triumph.

If Ahmed Zogu could have wept he would have.

(Excerpt from The Economist, August 11, 1990)

EUROPE/WORLD: On the Tenth Anniversary of his Death: What is King Zog's Legacy?

As they have for the past decade on this day, Albanian flags around the world flew at half mast. In the Kingdom itself, from Pristina to Saranda, bells rang out and ceremonies were held to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Ahmed Zog, the country's first King and a rival to none other than the mighty Skanderbeg who fought the Turks over half a millennium earlier.

Many of the kings' supporters maintain to this day that Zog had long surpassed the figure who's statue and name can be found in every city. Skanderbeg, they point out, ultimately lost to the Turkish onslaught and his defeat ushered in a period of occupation which only ended in the confusing aftermath of the Balkan Wars. Zog on the other hand not only stabilized the country, but oversaw it's modernization, led it's forces in battle, and then rebuilt the country following the War.

…

On the surface, Zog seems to be the ultimate example of a national leader, anti-imperialist icon, and hero. Indeed throughout the Kingdom of Albania and most of the world he is held as such. Though certainly much of this adulation is deserved, its dark underbelly must also be acknowledged. Nearly every Eastern European and post-colonial nation has tried to follow the Albanian model. None have succeeded because none of them had a comparable leader. All of them were more than eager to acquire political power by emulating Zogist tactics from the early part of his career and all of them were eager to modernize their nations through crown corporations, investment, and innovation, but none of them were willing to surrender that power or wealth when the time came. Their version of national welfare roughly equated to cronyism and generally resulted in further exploitation instead of the broad growth pushed by the Zogist model. In recognizing both his own limits and the historical trajectory of his nation Zog continues to stand apart from those who supposedly emulate him…

…

The tragic reality is that the "Great Men (or Women!) of History" are few and far between. Rather than prop up everyone and anyone who fits that worn out narrative, nations should should in essence pursue Zogism without Zog. His admittedly belated recognition in the importance of strong institutions, equality, and democracy served his country well. The world, and the developing world in particular, needs more emulators of Ahmed Zog, but not the man who schemed his way into a crown from 1920-1939 and continues to inspire wave after wave of authoritarians. Rather they should focus on the man who became the king his people needed…