Muharrem Bajraktari (15 May 1896 – 21 January 1989) was an Albanian Muslim guerrilla fighter from

Lumë Lumë (also called Lum and Lumi) is a village in the former Shtiqën Municipality, Kukës County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Kukës. It is part of the Lumë (region), Lumë region. According to ...

in northern Albania, and a political figure during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Family and early life

His father was Nezir Bajraktari, and he had a brother, Bajram. He emigrated to Yugoslavia.

Interwar period

In December 1924, when

Ahmet Zog Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's y ...

returned to Albania, he divided the country in four zones, as per the four best military captains: Muharrem Bajraktari of the north-east (Krumë), Fiqri Dine of the north-west (Shkodër),

Prenk Pervizi Prenk Pervizi (4 May 1897 – 6 September 1977) was an Albanian military figure, General of the Albanian army, who also served as Minister of Defence for a short period during World War II. Pervizi attended the Military Academy in Vienna, Austria ...

of the centre (Tirana), and Hysni Dema of the south (Vlorë). Bajraktari was dismissed from his commanding position in the gendarmerie because he refused to cooperate with the British-Inspector General. In 1936, Bajraktari had a disagreement with Zog, left Albania and went to Yugoslavia where he met with

Draža Mihailović Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...

in the summer of 1936.

World War II

At the beginning of the war Bajraktar was one of the leaders of the first Axis resistance actions in Albania. Until the end of 1941 Bajraktari led large bands whose number and membership continually grew. Following the British strategy of establishing a Balkan Union, Draža Mihailović, a leader of the Yugoslav royalist resistance movement, established cooperation with Bajraktari and his forces in Albania. Mihailović already knew Bajraktari from the period when he lived in Yugoslavia for several years before World War II as a political emigrant. It is possible that the British S.O.E. worked through him. According to one report he was opposed to the Kosovo Defense Committee and their methods and had good relations with

Prek Cali Prek Cali (29 July 187225 March 1945) was an Albanian ''bajraktar'' ("standard-bearer") of Vermosh, part of the Kelmendi tribe of northern Albania. He was a veteran of the Albanian rebellions and the Balkan Wars. He was killed in 1945 by the P ...

. Frequent meetings between Bajraktari's and Mihailovic's men were organized at the beginning of January. Together with other elements of Balli Kombetar, Bajraktari controlled the area south of the

Pukë Pukë ( sq-definite, Puka) is a town and municipality in northern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjegjan, Pukë, Qelëz, Qerret and Rrapë, that became municipal units. The ...

- Kukes line at the end of

and secured the retreat of the German army in autumn 1944. After the war, Bajraktari, together with Fiqri Dine, worked for the Albanian Committee in Paris. He was an executive member of the NCFA ( National Committee for a Free Albania).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bajraktari, Muharrem Albanian Muslims Albanian expatriates in France Albanian expatriates in Belgium Albanian collaborators with Nazi Germany People from Kukës 1896 births 1989 deaths

Family and early life

Interwar period

World War II

See also

References