The Legaliteti ( sq, Lëvizja Legaliteti; en, Legality Movement) were an Albanian

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...

and pro-monarchy faction founded in 1941. It was led by

Abaz Kupi Abaz Kupi (6 August 1892 – 17 January 1976) or Abas Kupi. He was also known as Bazi i Canës. He was an Albanian military officer. Kupi was born in Krujë. He served as commander of the gendarmerie of the town of Kruja, and later of the tow ...

Ideology

The Legaliteti sought the return 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 had fled the country on the eve of the Italian invasion. The Legaliteti consisted of supporters from mostly the northern mountain tribes, particularly the Mati region. The Legaliteti were

anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...

. Despite being

nationalistic Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: T ...

, the Legaliteti were against the

Balli Kombëtar The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front''), known as Balli, was an Albanian nationalist, collaborationist and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and by Midhat Frashëri. The move ...

as the Balli Kombëtar were the

social democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

and pro-republic while the Legaliteti were

loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

and

royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

. The Balli Kombëtar were also accused by the Legality because they supported the German occupation. However, within the Balli Kombetar there were pro Monarchist elements.

History

The negative action of the

Albanian Communists The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...

on the

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...

issue alienated a significant number of its adherents from that border region. Following November 1943, Abaz Kupi, until the

Mukje Agreement The Mukje Conference was held on 1–3 August 1943 in Mukaj (near Krujë in Central Albania). There was signed the Mukje agreement, a treaty between the nationalist Balli Kombëtar and the National Liberation Movement representatives. The aim w ...

, was a member of the Central Council of the NLM, withdrew with others to form the Legaliteti. Kupi was a respected

Gheg Gheg (also spelled Geg; Gheg Albanian: ''gegnishtja'', Standard sq, gegërishtja) is one of the two major varieties of Albanian, the other being Tosk. The geographic dividing line between the two varieties is the Shkumbin River, which winds ...

chieftain who had commanded King Zog's troops in

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...

when the Italians invaded Albania. In the early 1940s, three new political factions emerged within Albania after the Italians were defeated: the Albanian Communists,

(National Front), and Legaliteti (Legality). The

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

originally supported the Legaliteti. Being the smallest faction with no significant influence in Albania, the Allies broke aid with the Legaliteti and aided the

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...

, who in turn backed the Albanian communists. In 1945, the Albanian communists assumed control over Albania at the end of World War II. Most Legaliteti members were executed or had escaped to the west.

Legacy

The monarchist

Legality Movement Party The Legality Movement Party (; PLL) is a right-wing monarchist political party in Albania. It supports the return to power of the House of Zogu under Crown Prince Leka of the Albanians. In the 2001 parliamentary election it was part of the Uni ...

takes its name from the group.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Official website of the Albanian Royal CourtSite Officiel de la Maison Royale d'Albanie
1941 establishments in Albania Albanian militant groups Albanian monarchists Political parties established in 1941 Albania in World War II Anti-communist organizations in Albania Albanian Resistance Monarchism in Albania

Ideology

History

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links