aug 28, 1916 - Treaty of Gjirokastër
Description:
During the First Balkan War, one of the planned conquests of Greece was Northern Epirus. However, before their war could come to an end, Ottomans made peace with the Neapolitans in the Turko-Sicilian War.
The Treaty of Ouchy in 1913 placed Albania under a condominium between Naples and Austria. This angered Greeks, but not wanting war with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Greece pulled its troops out of the region.
However, by October 1913, the local Greeks in Albania were in revolt. The Great Powers of Europe met and signed the Protocol of Athens in November. This granted the Greeks in Southern Albania de facto independence as the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus under the sovereignty of the prince of Albania.
Following the outbreak of Great War, many in Greece were up in arms over who to join. Those with Pro-German views pointed to the British protectorate in the Ionian Islands, while the Pro-British pointed at North Epirus.
At the time, Naples had not joined the war, but they were extremely pro-Austrian and deemed likely to join before the war ended. Debates continued until 1916; Naples had joined the Central Powers, but was completely blockaded and in September the Greeks made an ultimatum to Naples. They had to grant Northern Epirus to Greece or Greece would join the Entente, to which Naples allowed the transfer of their vassal in Northern Epirus in the Treaty of Gjirokastër, which was annexed by Greece in early 1917.
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