German Policy in Albania During the Second World War
German Policy in Albania During the Second World War

Summary/Abstract: The Italian collapse in August 1943 required the Germans to occupy not only the Italian peninsula but also that territory in the Balkans that the Italians had either taken by force of arms or had been given by Hitler. This action strained an already overburdened German military that could not spare the number of troops required for an effective occupation. The Germans were therefore forced by the realities of their military situation in 1943 to adopt what can be described as a benign occupation policy. Lacking sufficient resources, the Germans were forced to develop and carry out a policy heavily dependent upon indigenous economic, political and military resources. The implementation of this policy in Albania, in its four stages, serves as an example of the extraordinary degree of flexibility the Germans were forced to accept, as well as the limitations of such a program.

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