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Northern Epirus (Albania): Greek occupation, 1914-1916

Provisional government of Epirus (1914)
Government of Epirus (1914)
Government of Northern Epirus (1914)

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Provisional government of Epirus (1914)

by Jaume Ollé and Jorge Candeias

The treaty of London (1913), which ended the Balkanic conflict, assigned most of Epirus to Greece, but the northern districts remained within Albania, with the opposition of the Greek population of the area. On 7 March 1914 Prince of Wied arrived in Albania and the Greeks of the southern districts of Albania rebelled against their inclusion into the principality, and formed the provisional government of hepeiros (Epirus). The rebels used the Greek flag with the double-headed eagle, to symbolize the belonging to Greece of this part of Albania. The Greek government did not condone these actions, but secretly supported the rebels.

Jaume Ollé, 15 June 1996

by Jaume Ollé and Jorge Candeias

The above image is a variant (or the correct flag) reported by Yannis Natsinas (Flagmaster [flm] #83).

Jaume Ollé, 15 June 1996

Government of Epirus (1914)

by Jorge Candeias and Jaume Ollé

When the first World War broke up, the Greek troops invaded and occupied Epirus (end of 1914). In the south, the provisional government was dissolved and replaced by a military government. In Flagfax [flx] is erroneously reported the flag of the occupation regime, taken from a postage stamp, including the monetary unit (suppressed, naturally, in the image, where the wording says "Greek Epirus"). It is worth being noted that the flag with the royal flag in the canton was not in use in the Kingdom of Greece in 1914-16, having been adopted only later, in 1935.

Jaume Ollé, 15 June 1996

by Jorge Candeias and Jaume Ollé

On postage stamps, the Greek flag contains only four blue and three white stripes. The wording says "Greek Epirus".

<>Jaume Ollé, 15 June 1996

The image above is nearly exactly the same as I saw in an old postage stamp catalogue. The stamps were issued by military authorities in Erseka and Kolonia in 1914.

Jarig Bakker, 22 April 1999

Government of Northern Epirus (1914)

Warning !

In the two images below, the word A[P]STONOMOS is incorrectly spelled. The second letter should be an Upsilon [Y] and not a Psi

supposed flag of Northern Epirus in 1915-16
by Jorge Candeias & Jaume Ollé

supposed flag of Northern Epirus in 1916
by Jorge Candeias & Jaume Ollé

In the North, the rebel government took the name of Government of Northern Epirus. The northern zone of Epirus was handed over to the Italians in 1915 (the last Greek troops remained in the area until 1916), which continued the occupation regime. After a few months, the Italians transfered this area to their French allies. The Greeks kept Southern Epirus. Two flags are supposed for this area: one from 1915-16 with wording that reads "Authonomous Epirus" and another from 1916, whose writings read "Greek Authonomous Northern [Epirus]".

The incorporation of Northern Epirus to Albania was confirmed by the Commission of Border Delimitation in 1921.

Jaume Ollé, 15 June 1996