Collapse of the Principality of Albania

In early 1914, the newly established Principality of Albania entered a period of violent political collapse, sometimes described as a civil war.

An independent, but deeply unstable Albanian state had been established in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars and was set to transition into a monarchy as a result of the arrangements of the European Great Powers. Immediately after Albania formally became a monarchy under Prince Wilhelm of Wied in February 1914, debilitating mass conflict erupted in the country. Wilhelm's failure to maintain control led to his departure from Albania that September, resulting in a political vacuum and the end of any remaining central authority.

The collapse, which eventually became intertwined with the Balkans theatre of World War I, involved various factions that asserted control as the country split along religious and ethnic lines; multiple countries also intervened and occupied the recognized territory of Albania. The country's fragmented situation would not be resolved until after the end of the war.