Italian invasion of Albania

Italian invasion of Albania
	Part of the prelude to World War II
	; Column of Italian forces in Albania
Date	April 7–12, 1939; (5 days)
Location	Albanian Kingdom
Result	Italian victory; Albania becomes an Italian protectorate; King Zog I flees to Greece; Albanian resistance begins;
Belligerents
Italy	Albania
Commanders and leaders
Benito Mussolini; Alfredo Guzzoni; Giovanni Messe; Ettore Sportiello	Zog I; Xhemal Aranitasi; Abaz Kupi; Mujo Ulqinaku †
Strength
22,000 soldiers; 400 aircraft; 2 battleships; 3 heavy cruisers; 3 light cruisers; 9 destroyers; 14 torpedo boats; 1 minelayer; 10 auxiliary ships; 9 transport ships	8,000 soldiers; 5 aircraft; 3 torpedo boats
Casualties and losses
Possibly 700 killed (according to Fischer); 12–25 killed (Italian claim); 97 wounded	700+ killed (according to Fischer); 160 killed and several hundreds wounded (according to Pearson); 5 aircraft; 3 torpedo boats

The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign which was launched by Italy against Albania in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime minister and dictator Benito Mussolini. Albania was rapidly occupied, its ruler King Zog I went into exile in the neighboring Kingdom of Greece, and the country was made a part of the Italian Empire as a protectorate in personal union with the Italian Crown.