Description
A rare map with attached text shows the newly founded borders of Albania, Montenegro and Austrian territory. Centred on Scutari in Albania, it embraces the area around Lake Skadar, between Budva, Podgorica, and the Cape of Rodon in Albania. The text gives detailed information on the cities and villages on the map, as well as information on the roads, water, communication etc.
Until 1912 Albania was a part of the Ottoman Empire. In November of the same year, the assembly of eighty-three leaders in Vlorë in declared Albania an independent country and set up a provisional government. Albania’s independence was recognized by the Conference of London on 29 July 1913, but the drawing of the borders of the newly established Principality of Albania ignored the demographic realities of the time. The International Commission of Control was established in October 1913 to take care of the administration of newly established Albania until its own political institutions were in order.
This map shows the borders discussed by the International Commission of Control. The principality existed until 1925, when it was succeeded by the first Albanian Republic (1925–1928).
The map was made by the Austrian Military Geographical Institute as a part 4 of 5 large maps, showcasing the newly established boundaries, which were of critical importance for the southern part of Austria after the Balkan countries separated from the Ottoman Empire.
The map was made in 1914, on the eve of WWI or in the first months of the war.
The maps from this series, printed on large sheets of thin paper, are very rare. We could only trace one complete series of the maps (The British Library, OCLC 497885424)
