World History
History of Albania This is a good overview of the history of Albania.
From the site:
Scholars believe the Albanian people are descended from a non-Slavic, non-Turkic group of tribes known as Illyrians, who arrived in the Balkans around 2000 BC. Modern Albanians still distinguish between Ghegs (northern tribes) and Tosks (southern tribes). After falling under Roman authority in 165 BC, Albania was controlled nearly continuously by a succession of foreign powers until the mid-20th century, with only brief periods of self-rule.
Following the split of the Roman Empire in 395, the Byzantine Empire established its control over present-day Albania. In the 11th century, Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus made the first recorded reference to a distinct area of land known as Albania and to its people.
The Ottoman Empire ruled Albania from 1385-1912. During this time, much of the population converted to the Islamic faith, and Albanians also emigrated to Italy, Greece, Egypt and Turkey. Although its control was briefly disrupted during the 1443-78 revolt, led by Albania's national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeg, the Ottomans eventually reasserted their dominance.
In the early 20th century, the weakened Ottoman Empire was no longer able to suppress Albanian nationalism. The League of Prizren (1878) promoted the idea of an Albanian nation-state and established the modern Albanian alphabet. Following the conclusion of the First Balkan War, Albanians issued the Vlore Proclamation of November 28, 1912, declaring independence. Albania's borders were established by the Great Powers in 1913. Albania's territorial integrity was confirmed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, after U.S. President Woodrow Wilson dismissed a plan by the European powers to divide Albania amongst its neighbors.
- Venice
Old Map of Venice The city of Venice with its famous canals traces its origins back to a small settlement in the Venetian lagoon where St. Mark, one of the authors of the Gospels and a friend of St. Paul, landed on his way to Rome. With the collapse of...
- The Glory Of Byzantium
The Glory of Byzantium - An exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrating the second golden age of Byzantine art. Includes Byzantine art themes, the history of Byzantium, and a visual timeline. The exhibit is long gone (it ended in 1997) but...
- History Of Turkey
History of Turkey. This is a short history of the European and Asian nation of Turkey. Although the modern nation of Turkey is recent, the area has had a rich history under the Eastern Roman Empire and the Ottoman Turks. The fall of Constantinople in...
- Twenty-five Lectures On Modern Balkans History
Twenty-Five Lectures on Modern Balkans History. This site has a large number of essays dealing with the most problematic region of Europe. These were all written by Steven Sowards of Michigan State University. From the site: One can't understand...
- History Of Bulgaria
History of Bulgaria. This is brief overview to the history of Bulgaria. From the site: The first Bulgarian state was recognized in 681 A.D. and was a mixture of Slavs and Bulgars. Several years later, the First Bulgarian Kingdom or the "Golden Age"...
World History
History of Albania
History of Albania This is a good overview of the history of Albania.
From the site:
Scholars believe the Albanian people are descended from a non-Slavic, non-Turkic group of tribes known as Illyrians, who arrived in the Balkans around 2000 BC. Modern Albanians still distinguish between Ghegs (northern tribes) and Tosks (southern tribes). After falling under Roman authority in 165 BC, Albania was controlled nearly continuously by a succession of foreign powers until the mid-20th century, with only brief periods of self-rule.
Following the split of the Roman Empire in 395, the Byzantine Empire established its control over present-day Albania. In the 11th century, Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus made the first recorded reference to a distinct area of land known as Albania and to its people.
The Ottoman Empire ruled Albania from 1385-1912. During this time, much of the population converted to the Islamic faith, and Albanians also emigrated to Italy, Greece, Egypt and Turkey. Although its control was briefly disrupted during the 1443-78 revolt, led by Albania's national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeg, the Ottomans eventually reasserted their dominance.
In the early 20th century, the weakened Ottoman Empire was no longer able to suppress Albanian nationalism. The League of Prizren (1878) promoted the idea of an Albanian nation-state and established the modern Albanian alphabet. Following the conclusion of the First Balkan War, Albanians issued the Vlore Proclamation of November 28, 1912, declaring independence. Albania's borders were established by the Great Powers in 1913. Albania's territorial integrity was confirmed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, after U.S. President Woodrow Wilson dismissed a plan by the European powers to divide Albania amongst its neighbors.
- Venice
Old Map of Venice The city of Venice with its famous canals traces its origins back to a small settlement in the Venetian lagoon where St. Mark, one of the authors of the Gospels and a friend of St. Paul, landed on his way to Rome. With the collapse of...
- The Glory Of Byzantium
The Glory of Byzantium - An exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrating the second golden age of Byzantine art. Includes Byzantine art themes, the history of Byzantium, and a visual timeline. The exhibit is long gone (it ended in 1997) but...
- History Of Turkey
History of Turkey. This is a short history of the European and Asian nation of Turkey. Although the modern nation of Turkey is recent, the area has had a rich history under the Eastern Roman Empire and the Ottoman Turks. The fall of Constantinople in...
- Twenty-five Lectures On Modern Balkans History
Twenty-Five Lectures on Modern Balkans History. This site has a large number of essays dealing with the most problematic region of Europe. These were all written by Steven Sowards of Michigan State University. From the site: One can't understand...
- History Of Bulgaria
History of Bulgaria. This is brief overview to the history of Bulgaria. From the site: The first Bulgarian state was recognized in 681 A.D. and was a mixture of Slavs and Bulgars. Several years later, the First Bulgarian Kingdom or the "Golden Age"...