Rebellion in the Catholic northern highlands

JUN 1926

In November and December 1926 a rebellion broke out in the Catholic districts of Dukagjin, Shala and Shosh in the northern highlands, reportedly with Yugoslav encouragement. The rebels initially blocked the intervening army and took local commanders prisoner. The rising was the immediate pressure that pushed Zogu into signing the First Treaty of Tirana with Italy. The timing is worth noting carefully: the First Treaty of Tirana was signed on 27 November 1926, during the rebellion. Whether the rising caused the treaty or the treaty was already in train is a matter of interpretation, not record.