Ismail Qemali – the historical example

An end and a beginning

This year, 2019, we mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the Father of Albania's Independence, Ismail Qemali.

Ismail Qemali is a personality of great importance in the history of the Albanian people. An end and a beginning in this history are associated with his name: the end of the centuries-old Ottoman occupation and the beginning of Albanian freedom and independence, although not for the entire Albanian people.

As the founder of Albania, he joins the ranks of those personalities who have changed the political history of the Albanian people and the Balkans in general.

His character

Ismail Qemali is one of the most successful politicians of Albanian origin in the Ottoman Empire, and when it is said like this, it is thought of his long political and state career and his great influence. He had three prerequisites for political and state success: first, he had a noble background - which was highly regarded at that time; secondly, he was so handsome and impressive among other men—which was not unimportant either then or later; third, he was high-minded enough to stand out among the notables - which is always highly valued.

The qualities with which nature had gifted him or he was equipped during his working life, before they were opposed, created balance in his personality. He was modest and dignified, determined and generous, brave and prudent, eloquent and far-sighted. His clear judgment, his austere demeanor, and his sure taste made his personality superior and charming. With his unified action, he was the master of situations and, as it has been well said of him, the master of time.

In a high position or without him, rich he impoverished, adored he ignored, protected he condemned, in the Motherland or in exile, he was everywhere and whenever Ismail Qemal Vlora.

His career

Thanks to the aforementioned qualities, Ismail Qemali will manage to become a high dignitary in the Ottoman Empire.

But, thanks to the aforementioned qualities, Ismail Qemali will manage to become the leader of the Albanian National Movement, founder of the Albanian state and prime minister of Albania - all this where, usually, the mediocrity birds feel great satisfaction in overthrowing geniuses !

During almost half a century of political and state activity in the Ottoman Empire, he will manage to be Secretary General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Internal Affairs and Justice; leader or participant in various political and diplomatic missions of the Empire in European countries; Chairman of the European Commission of the Danube; adviser or secretary of the governors in the vilayet; prefect in large cities or head of government in large provinces of the Empire; chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, but he did not accept the title of pasha because he saw it as something that was surpassed. His knowledge of the political and social situation and his great political experience will make him the Sultan's chosen one for state reforms several times. The above-mentioned qualities will make him, at the same time, the sultan's suspect or convict, before whom he will have the courage to show his redeemable thoughts. That is to say: the qualities that will make his career possible will also become the cause of the shame that he will arouse in politicians and diplomats and of the persecutions that he will suffer, being exiled, deprived of wealth and convicted with death.

His political belief

The information that is known about the life and political activity of Ismail Qemali, his memories and the memories of others about him indicate that he was a man with a versatile education and a wide culture, which were the majority of Albanian intellectuals of the National Renaissance. In his mind there was room for all cultures, and in his heart room for all races, all nationalities and all faiths.

Although a devoted patriot and creator of the Albanian state, he will never misuse national feelings for political purposes.

Although he is a Muslim by faith, he will spend a happy life with a woman of the Christian faith and of another nationality.

Although a politician and diplomat in an Empire ruled by oriental despotism, he was a liberal democrat by conviction and behavior. Agreement was his political tool, tolerance was his manner of conduct, humanism was his ethics, liberalism was his concept of the state and society.

It protects human rights at a time when there was no legal protection of them and under conditions in which they were so violated in most countries in the world.

He works for the release of Circassians who were treated as slaves; it deals with the settlement in the Ottoman Empire of Jews forcibly expelled from Russia. Wherever he is appointed as a governor in the Empire, Ismail Qemali tries to neutralize the consequences of despotic rule and exercise power as the power of conscience.

Ismail Qemali's liberalism has more than one source. The first resource is his education. In the well-known Zosimea high school of Ioannina, he will be taught to "live - as he says - in the spirit of the freedoms of the old Greek world" and will acquire the liberal ideas of Voltaire, Rousseau and Locke.

The second source is the knowledge he had about Western Europe. He often stays, shorter or longer, in England, France and Italy, where he gets to know their state organization, economic system, political philosophy, and civilization.

The third source of Ismail Qemali's liberalism is his political and historical culture. He knows that only democratic states are historically stable states. He emphasizes that state, political, national and religious chauvinism is the grave of states. He emphasizes that "every empire that has been created by the sword has at the same time sown the seeds of its own destruction." For this reason, he values ​​"moral force more powerful than armed force" for state regulation, but, of course, moral force based on democratic laws.

His historical work

With such liberal convictions, which were the cause of his persecution, Ismail Qemali will enter the National Movement for the creation of the Albanian state. But the convictions he had and the qualities with which he stood out will quickly make him the leader of this Movement. Like the ideologues of the National Renaissance before him, who had died in exile, for a while he too will think about the solution of the national question through autonomy in the bosom of the Ottoman Empire, but of the disturbed Empire in a federation of nations.

He will think so because he knew that some of the great powers, and, especially, Great Britain, were interested in keeping this empire as one of the factors for maintaining their balance. Europe, meanwhile, was getting closer to the world war, while the Ottoman Empire was also getting closer to the shocks it will bring. When will you be convinced that this Empire was being overthrown and that with its overthrow could also be overthrown the hope of the Albanians for the creation of their own state, when will you be convinced that the Balkan neighbors would tear the Albanian lands apart with war, that is, when convinced that the historical moment for decisive historical action had arrived, Ismail Qemali will replace the idea of ​​autonomy with the idea of ​​independence of Albania.

At the same time, he will also change the idea of ​​the means that should be used for the establishment of that independence: instead of political war - as the only means, he will now seek armed war - as the main means. Consequently, his activity is focused: first, on uniting all mental, moral and active national forces for that war and, second, on ensuring the understanding of the Great Powers for the Albanian request. As can be seen, Ismail Qemali will now add the idealistic component to his always realistic political formula. His political genius appreciates that what is most desired, what is possible, now has the opportunity to become viable. And, on November 28, 1912, he convenes the National Assembly in Vlora, which declares the independence of Albania, which elects the Provisional Government and which elects him, Ismail Qemalin, as its prime minister.

This was still a state without borders, without law enforcement, without an army, without a national administration, without an economy, without finance - a state without state conditions. But this newly born state, nevertheless, had the political, legal and moral dignity of the state: its state-forming institutions - the Assembly and the Government, were sovereign in a part, however small it was then, of the future Albania. The Provisional Government, led by Ismail Qemali, the liberal who was convinced that spiritual virtues should be its main weapon, will do its best to extend Albania as far as its ethnic borders and to be, indeed, independent and stable. "Unfortunately - Ismail Qemali will write later in his Memoirs - just as it follows isolated people, Fate also follows peoples".

His despair

On that great day, on November 28, when the life of independent Albania begins, that day also begins its journey, of its creator and of its people through hardships. Albania will be inflicted with evils, attacks, vicissitudes, by its Balkan neighbors, by some great European powers, by its own political class, by human inheritance. The Balkan Wars and, immediately following them, the World War, in which so much blood will be shed for the opposing interests of the Great Powers and their small proteges, will increase the number of causes of Albania's vicissitudes and of tragedies of Albanians. The Ambassadors' Conference in London will bring great despair to the Albanian people and Ismail Qemali. Outside the borders of Albania, it will leave more than half of the Albanian lands and more than half of the Albanian people! Serbia, Montenegro and Greece will be given the most fertile fields, sources of rivers, developed Albanian cities! The extent of the historical irresponsibility of the Great Powers in this Conference can be seen in the case of Kosovo and Macedonia: they will be given to Serbia even though the number of Serbs living there was almost invisible!

Serbia continues its efforts to reach the sea through Albania and for a while it has occupied a part of it!

Montenegro is doing its best to restore Shkodra and its entire Ultina.

Greece conquers the southern part of Albania and does not give up its goals for extending as far north as possible!

Italy makes the policy of occupying Vlora and Sazan and placing Albania under its protectorate!

Russia and France, and even Great Britain, Ismail Qemal's state-hope, are looking to make Serbia as big as possible, while France will not hesitate to reward Greece with Albanian cities, such as Korça!

Esat Pashë Toptani creates a counter-government in Durrës, conducts an open campaign of diabolical slander against Ismail Qemali and is put at the service of Serbia!

The internal anarchy, which appears always and everywhere after the fall of long violent rule, poverty, widespread illiteracy and famine also become a danger for Albania and its government!

The fate of Albania and its Father had become One.

Found under the pressure of the Great Powers because he wanted to be the subject and not the object of history, abandoned by the arriviste collaborators, not understood by a large part of his countrymen, ignored and falsely accused by intriguers, tired of age , overcome by a disbelief in the possibility of a quick change in the situation, Ismail Qemali finally leaves Albania and again takes the path of exile. The weight on his arms had been too heavy and he had been unable to carry it any further. As a man who did not give up easily, he will, however, continue the fight for Albania where he started: in the European political centers. This war will now not last long: the curtain at the end of his life drama will fall on January 26, 1919. Albania with the borders set at the London Conference in 1913 will be maintained, but the curtain at the end of the Albanian drama will not fall so fast This drama will continue to be played throughout the twentieth century, in other conditions and in other ways, with other possibilities and hopes, it continues to be played somewhere in the historical destiny of Albanians today.

I am not a prophet to know how long this drama will play out. Albanians have many reasons to be forever grateful to the US and the EU for all they did to stop the genocidal Serbian violence against them in Kosovo in 1999 and for all they continue to do for the protection of peace in Kosovo. But, it cannot be said that the directors of the Albanian historical tragedy at the Berlin Congress (1878), the London Conference (1913) and the Paris Peace Conference (1919) - the great European states, are also listening today the echo of the Albanian issue still not finally resolved, that is, historically. Although they are much more attentive to it than their predecessors almost a century ago, they continue to leave its solution unfinished first of all by opposing the union of Kosovo with Albania! And issues like the one we're talking about here, when left half-solved, leave room for tension and conflict.

But let me finish this word.

His example

The name of Ismail Qemali in the history of the Albanian people remains forever marked as the statesman who founded Albania; as a liberal democrat, who started the democratic government in the national life and as a man, who used his political talent in the most worthy ways for the most important jobs - that is, he remains marked as the personality who performed the mission of the leader and forerunner in this history. It is understandable why the people, the simple people with whom he identified, appreciated this mission so well when they sang it in the verses:

I am Smail Qemali

History comes after me.

The unprecedented political and state glory is also deserved thanks to the gifts and virtues that distinguished Ismail Qemali: thanks to the culture he had; thanks to the moral strength with which He endured temptations and misfortunes; thanks to the honesty with which He stood out; and thanks to the sacrifices he made for his homeland.

He, who, like other great renaissance men, gave all his material, mental and spiritual possessions to his people

He - Ismail Qemal Vlora - the great example of man, politician and statesman in the history of the Albanian people.