Kostaq Kotta, also known as Koço Kotta (5 May 1886 – 1 September 1947), was an
Albanian politician and twice
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
during the reign of
King Zog
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the t ...
, who took a pro-Italian right-wing stance.
Biography
He was educated in Greece and Italy. In the
Principality of Albania
The Principality of Albania ( al, Principata e Shqipërisë or ) refers to the short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by Wilhelm, Prince of Albania, that lasted from the Treaty of London of 1913 which ended the First Balkan War, through ...
, he served as the minister of public works and was elected to the
Parliament of Albania
The Parliament of Albania ( sq, Kuvendi i Shqipërisë) or Kuvendi is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Albania; it is Albania's legislature. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members elected to a ...
. During the June Revolution of
Fan Noli, Kotta escaped to Greece, but returned to lead the insurgency against Noli that led to the formation of the
Albanian Republic
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
** Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the countr ...
under
Ahmet Zogu.
[
He became the speaker of the parliament during Zogu’s presidency and then Prime Minister after Zogu established the Albanian Kingdom.][ During his first term, he introduced civil code laws based on the Napoleonic model.
In 1936, he headed the government again until resigning after the ]Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania (April 7–12, 1939) was a brief military campaign which was launched by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime m ...
. He was a member of Mustafa Merlika-Kruja
Mustafa Merlika-Kruja (March 15, 1887, Akçahisar, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Krujë, Albania) – December 27, 1958, Niagara Falls, New York) was one of the signatories of the Albanian Declaration of Independence. He served as Prime Minister ...
's cabinet in 1941.[''Albania at war, 1939–1945'', p. 116, ]Bernd Jürgen Fischer
Bernd Jürgen Fischer (born 27 January 1952) is historian and professor of history at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. He received his Ph.D. in 1982 from the University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of Californi ...
, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 1999
/ref>
He accompanied Zog into exile in Greece. In December 1944 he was captured by Greek Communists and returned to Albania.[ He was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment by the Communism in Albania, Albanian Communists's Special Court of Spring 1945. He died in ]Burrel Prison
Burrel Prison () is a high security prison located outside the town of Burrel, in northeastern Albania at the District Police Station in Mat with a maximum capacity of 198 inmates. In 2011 the prison housed 182 inmates and employed 120 corrections ...
in 1947 as a result of torture.
See also
*History of Albania
The history of Albania forms a part of the history of Europe. During classical antiquity, Albania was home to several Illyrian tribes such as the Ardiaei, Albanoi, Amantini, Enchele, Taulantii and many others, but also Thracian and Gree ...
References
1889 births
1949 deaths
People from Korçë
People from Manastir vilayet
Albanians from the Ottoman Empire
Mayors of Korçë
Government ministers of Albania
Prime Ministers of Albania
Public Works ministers of Albania
Albanian collaborators with Fascist Italy
Albanian people who died in prison custody
Prisoners who died in Albanian detention
Albanian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Albania
Speakers of the Parliament of Albania
Members of the Parliament of Albania
Heads of government who were later imprisoned
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