Today marks 112 years since the conclusion of the London Conference, a historic diplomatic gathering that determined the political fate and territorial division of Albanian lands.
The Conference of Ambassadors began its work in December 1912 and continued until 29 July 1913. Although it played a decisive role in recognizing Albania’s independence, it also resulted in the partition of more than half of Albanian territories.
The conference was convened following the outbreak of the First Balkan War. Participating were the major European powers of the time, representatives of the Ottoman Empire, and envoys of the Balkan allies — excluding Albania, which was not yet recognized as a state, and Greece, which had not signed the armistice.
From this conference emerged the Treaty of London, which regulated the division of Ottoman territories among the great powers and their regional allies. The treaty remained secret until the Versailles Conference in 1918.
During the negotiations, the great powers submitted their own proposed maps of Albania. The most favorable map for the Albanian population came from Austria-Hungary, which supported a larger territorial configuration for the emerging Albanian state.
After lengthy debates, on 29 July 1913, the ambassadors formally recognized the Principality of Albania as a sovereign and independent state, while simultaneously reducing its historical territory, effectively removing nearly two-thirds of Albanian lands.
Below is the comparative map showing:
- the proposal of the Provisional Government of Vlora,
- the proposals of France, Russia, and the Balkan League (Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece),
- and the final borders approved by the London Conference — corresponding to the territory known today as the Republic of Albania.
