Zog I of Albania

Albanian prime minister, president and king (1895-1961) (r.1922-1939)

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Lived 1895–1961, aged 66Turkey

Turkey PoliticiansPolitician

Wikipedia
62 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1895–1961
Aged 66
Awards
10
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He ruled a country for seventeen years under three different titles — prime minister at 27, president with dictatorial powers at 29, then king — before losing it all to the Italian invasion he couldn't stop.

Biography

About

Born Ahmed Muhtar Bey Zogolli in 1895 to an aristocratic family in Ottoman Albania, he fought for Austria-Hungary in the First World War and plunged into Albanian politics soon after. He adopted the name Ahmed Zogu in 1922, became the youngest prime minister in Albanian history that same year, was driven into exile in June 1924, then returned with Yugoslav and White Russian backing to reclaim power. Elected president in January 1925 with dictatorial authority, he pushed through major reforms while suppressing civil liberties and tying Albania closer to Mussolini's Italy. In September 1928 the…

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