Greek reaction to developments leading to the Albanian league of Prizren

Abstract

Greek consular and diplomatic reports for 1875-1881 provide valuable
source material for the Albanian national awakening and Greek
reaction to it. While traditional Greek opinion in the 19th century considered
Albanians and Greeks as kin peoples bound to be united under
a common state roof, Albanians were viewed very much as part of
the Ottoman establishment, thus unable to pursue a truly Albanian
national policy. This view began to undergo considerable change under
the influence of the events of 1877-1878. Certain attempts at concluding
a Greek-Albanian alliance at that time failed on account of conflicting
interests and mutual suspicion. After the Congress of Berlin,
the Greeks carefully followed Albanian initiatives - thanks to detailed
consular reports - and tried to assess their influence on Greek interests.
And, although ini.ially they tended to view the Albanian League of
Prizren as Ottoman insprired, they gradually came to espouse the opinion
that despite an initian encouragement by the Porte, the Albanian
movement acquired its own momentum. As such, the Greek Government
was complelled to weigh the Albanian factor more and more as a genuine
force, emerging in the vicinity of the zone of Greek interests.