June 12, 1940. London, United Kingdom.
"Once again Mr. Sarachi, I deeply apologize for the events of the past 48 hours. To say that they were unexpected is a bit too much on the nose for my liking, but then again, I suppose that was the point?"
Chatin forced a smile at Anthony Eden's (1) poor attempt for a joke. London wasn't Vienna by any stretch of the imagine but then again Vienna wasn't Vienna these days either. Yet again, Zog had been three steps ahead of the game and had him re-assigned to London in January 1938.(2) He'd been furious at the time, but that fury had subsided with every step Vienna took towards becoming a sleepy backwater under their new Nazi overlords. Then again, as the war edged closer, he hadn't found the time for anything else as Zog had sent him task after task to lay the foundation for his sudden betrayal of the Italians.
"Some degree of confusion was expected." He conceded. "But we believe that our initial actions have proved sufficient to demonstrate our commitment to the defeat of both Mussolini and Hitler."
"The Prime Minister and all of us are quite impressed with King Zog's willingness to mobilize his considerable wealth for the purposes of not only his own countrymen but for the cause of freedom throughout Europe…"
"But you cannot commit to directly aiding us in repelling the Italian invasion." Sarachi said as Eden seemed at a loss for words. Had Zog not written about this possibility, he'd have been struggling too.
"We have our own invasion to worry about, the BEF has barely returned from France and with Italy now in the fray we are stretched to the limit. Though, admittedly less stretched than we would have been without Albania's entry into the war. Our own cities will likely be bombed as well in the coming days…"
"Only you will have the privilege of having enough fighters and AA guns to drive them off." Chatin cut in bitterly leaving Eden at a loss for words. "Fortunately, we Albanians are accustomed to hardship. We will weather the Italian bombing and continue to fight just like we have against all foreign invaders. All we ask in return is that our sacrifices are…remembered."
"While I am not authorized to make any promises on behalf of His Majesty's government, I have been instructed to forward any requests you have been instructed to make."
Chatin nodded "In keeping with King Zog's earlier policy towards Kosova and Chameria, the Kingdom of Albania is not pushing for border revisions at the expense of Yugoslavia or Greece at this time. We recognize just as much as anyone else that the last thing we need is Yugoslavia joining the Pact of Steel. That being said, any help in getting them or the Kingdom of Greece to open their borders to allow the import of weapons and supplies would be greatly appreciated. But, of course, we demand that the Island of Sazan be ceded from Italy as a part of any peace deal."
"That certainly sounds reasonable."
"Given the difficulties involved in transporting large numbers of volunteers and equipment to Albania under the current circumstances, the King would also like British assistance in incorporating Albanian volunteers along the same lines as those from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Norway and other countries. The King believes that these men, including pilots we had intended to use for our air corps, would be better employed with the RAF and other formations than sitting on the sidelines."
Eden nodded "Noted. Given that, like you said, similar accommodations have been made for other nations, I don't see that being an issue."
"King Zog would also like official assistance in setting up production for weapons and supplies. We have already moved most of our machinery for producing our rifle grenades to Alexandria and while we have a large stockpile of munitions, we expect to run low in the not so distant future. It is also my understanding that the British company Kynoch has manufactured 6.5mm rifle ammunition in the past. While the army has even larger stockpiles of these munitions, they are interested in purchasing specialty ammunition, armor piercing, tracers and the like. (3) Whatever aid His Majesty's government could provide in streamlining the contract process would be appreciated."
"Well, Kynoch is a private firm but I will make an inquiry to that account. I'm quite certain the rifle grenade issue can be solved satisfactorily with the help of factories in India."
"Speaking of weapons, King Zog is quite interested in expanding submachine gun production in the UK. He's already placed an order with his factories here to produce a cheaper version of the Hyde Model 34 the Mark III. (4) I'm told it is a fraction of the cost yet performs almost as well. It can also be made by simple machine shops like the ones FMSh has or like so many in the United Kingdom. Given the loss of so many weapons at Dunkirk he's willing to waive licensing fees for other factories in the UK in exchange for continued shipments of aid and weapons."
A look of confusion momentarily flashed across Eden's face. "I've heard about the Model 1934, it's considerably cheaper than the Thompson and I know both our purchasing party and the French have placed large orders. I'm not familiar with this 'Mark III' but I will recommend that it be placed through trials as soon as possible. If anything, it could provide some much-needed firepower to the Home Guard…"
"I believe if that's what you're interested in, the GZ 39 might be more useful."
"GZ?"
"Grusht-zjarri…" Sarachi replied, the words still sounded odd in his mouth. "I believe 'fire fist' is the equivalent in English." Reaching into his briefcase he pulled out the schematics. "It's essentially a small, single use recoilless rifle. It uses a black-powder charge to fire a special anti-tank warhead. We started working on it based off what we were seeing in the Spanish Civil War. We were quite far along, even producing a few prototypes, but the outbreak of the war prevented further development. In particular, they believe that a larger version will likely be needed to deal with more modern armor."
"Prototypes?" Eden said with a raised brow as he looked up from the blueprints.
Chatin smiled "Once again King Zog had the foresight to send them here a few months ago. I'm sure your 'boffins' will have a field day."
"Indeed, I imagine they will, though I must confess that all this talk of weapons is a bit beyond me. If there's nothing else, I'm more than happy to pass your requests along."
"There is something else." Chatin said taking a deep breath. "Namely, the issue of Malta. Now while the Kingdom of Albania does not dare dictate war policy to the United Kingdom, we would regard the fall of Malta as a betrayal of the highest order. As the closest British possession to Albania, Malta is uniquely suited to both aiding our campaign against the Italians while also weakening its position abroad. It is for this reason that Zog has already arranged the shipment of additional supplies to the island. We are also hoping to use it as a base for our navy and evacuate key personnel there." (5)
"I assure you, his majesty's government has no intention of abandoning the Island of Malta. All efforts are being made to reinforce and resupply the island. King Zog's recent donation to that effect came as welcome news and has done a great deal to help convince the Prime Minister of Albania's intentions…
Notes
1. Around this time Churchill was pushing Eden to get involved in the Mediterranean in OTL.
2. As per Part VIII, Sarachi got his posting to Vienna, but it proved short-lived. In OTL he likewise made his way (without official support) to London where he became somewhat of a figure in certain circles and emerged as a vicious critic of Zog's.
3. In OTL the Italian switch to 7.35mm meant that specialty loads for the 6.5mm were neglected. AFAIK AP and tracer rounds do exist in 6.5mm Carcano they are just quite rare. Zog's done some work to stockpile what he can, but more needs to be done.
4. See Part XI.
5. After WWII, the British government tried to overthrow the Albanian Communist government in what became known as "The Albanian Subversion." Among the participants was George Jellicoe, son of Admiral Jellicoe. Multiple intelligence missions ran agents into Albania via caique from Malta in OTL. Unfortunately for Jellicoe and these agents, with the aid of Soviet intelligence provided by their agent Kim Philby, the plan was an abject failure. However, it does demonstrate the plausibility of using Malta as a base to supply Albanian resistance in TTL.
(Excerpted from Cornelius Reese "Europe's Last Warrior King" 2011)
…Despite work on Malta's defenses beginning months earlier with the establishment of the Hal Far Fighter Flight, no other serious preparations had been undertaken to prepare the Island of Malta for a siege prior to the outbreak of war on June 10. Contrary to wartime propaganda which heralded General William Dobbie's foresight, the archival records show absolutely no considerations had been given to establishing a rationing system or building up strategic reserves of supplies for the island's population. (6) Instead, archival documents paint a picture of unmitigated panic as the sudden revelation that the King of Albania had provided half a dozen ships filled with supplies to the island combined with hoarding to create a unique decision making environment. Convinced that God had given him both grace and a clear warning in Zog's shipment, Dobbie rapidly ordered the beginning of rationing and began to push for the establishment of a strategic reserve in the event that Malta was cut off rather than place his faith in the Royal Navy's claims that Malta was in no danger of being cut off at the present time. (7) Though many Maltese residents doubted the necessity of the rationing system prior to the arrival of German aircraft, it quickly became a source of pride and hope as air raids increased in frequency and intensity. By that time Zog's initial shipment of supplies had long been consumed and his unsung role in preparing the island for its travails was overshadowed in favour of the more tangible example of exiled Albanian miners helping to build air raid shelters.(8)
Sir_William_George_Shedden_Dobbie.jpg
General William Dobbie Commander in Chief and Governor of Malta from April 1940-
The eventual overshadowing of his efforts to resupply Malta in public opinion was hardly a concern of Zog's in June 1940. For rather than being a public relations stunt, Zog's efforts had a calculated political and strategic purpose in laying the foundation for both the Anglo-Albanian alliance and its eventual victory in the Mediterranean. Though the latter was still very much in doubt in June 1940, Zog's preparations proved decisive in overcoming initial confusion and accelerating negotiations between the Albanian Minister in London, Chatin Sarachi, and the British government. Even with all the groundwork Zog laid for his abrupt about face, British officials struggled to ascertain whether the Albanian request was genuine or whether allying with Albania was even in British interests. Fortunately for both parties, Zog seemed to have anticipated this and his call for aid was far from what certain skeptics in the British government feared.
Fears that Zog would demand the formation of a "Third BEF" at a time when the "Second BEF" was struggling to find its footing and would ultimately be withdrawn, quickly dissipated when Zog dismissed the suggestion on the basis of logistics. Italian naval and air superiority in the Adriatic coupled with the damage to Albania's ports which would likely follow an invasion attempt were simply too much to overcome even if Britain hadn't been facing an existential crisis. Instead Zog chose to advocate for increased support for the Mediterranean theatre as a whole, focusing initially on the Island of Malta. Though some in the Navy had questioned the practicality of holding Malta, most had already come around to Zog's view of the islands' strategic necessity and were pushing for it to be reinforced regardless. The arrival of Zog's supplies coupled with his calls to reinforce Malta as a display of support for Albania's struggle proved to be the last straw for any resistance to that aspect of British strategy. The diversion of the Italian navy and the entirety of its landing force to Albania in June 1940 had bought Malta precious time which the Navy had no qualms following Zog's insistence to use.
In addition to not calling for immediate military aid, Zog also maintained his policy of not calling for border changes at the expense of either Yugoslavia or Greece. While this raised some hopes, particularly in Churchill, that perhaps the Balkan Entente could be resurrected, the events following the Munich Conference and the Western Power's failure to launch an offensive to relieve Poland had done far too much damage. Having dealt with the Balkan Entente in the early 1930s and monitored the situation closely, Zog recognized this from the outset and, as a result, his hopes were far more modest. Instead of envisaging a new Balkan front emerging, Zog instead hoped that British pressure might help partially reverse the closure of both countries' borders which had occurred shortly after the Italian invasion. (9) Recognizing that a full re-opening was incredibly unlikely, Zog nevertheless hoped that British pressure might pave the way for officials to look the other way and allow the smuggling of arms and agents his asymmetric war plan required.
The rest of what would become the "Anglo-Albanian Alliance" in July 1940 proved to be fairly straightforward as it fell well within the bounds of agreements made with other victims of German aggression. Provisions were made for the organization of Albanian volunteers into existing British units initially and eventually into "Free Albanian" units if the number of recruits sufficient numbers. While some within the British government doubted whether the Albanian diaspora could produce the number of recruits necessary for said units, their doubts were quickly silenced by its massive response. Decades of investment in their communities had created an ironclad political constituency and had laid the groundwork for an unprecedented level of support which was channeled by Zog's foreign representatives to support its new British ally. Following the outbreak of war, dozens of Albanian-American made their way to Canada to be trained as pilots, hundreds more gathered at Alexandria to join the nascent "Albanian Army in Egypt," and those who could not fight mobilized whatever resources they had at their disposal to purchase an impressive number of war bonds even as the Allied cause seemed to be at its nadir.
Unfortunately, Churchill's hopes that Albanian enthusiasm would impact the emerging situation in France were promptly dashed. Though Zog's resistance and efforts to secure an alliance solicited some discussion, it was simply too little too late for the Third Republic. After all, France's primary worry was the Wehrmacht rampaging through Northern France not the Italian forces stymied at the border. While France did officially enter into negotiations with Albania, most politicians saw its entry into the war as little more than a sideshow and promptly dismissed it. While Zog had succeeded far beyond all expectations and had often made seemingly illogical wagers which turned out later, in June 1940 it genuinely seemed like he had made his last mistake. Pierre Laval's words in June 20 perhaps best summarized the emerging French opinion of Zog: "Backing the United Kingdom will be the last wager the "Albanian Gambler" will ever make. To follow him is folly." Though Churchill resolutely believed that Zog's example would encourage most French to continue to fight, his efforts at forming a "Franco-British Union" failed utterly and his distrust of Charles De Gaulle led to the bungling of British government's relationship with the emerging Free French movement.
It is again a credit to Zog's keen political mind that he focused his diplomatic attention in June 1940 on Great Britain instead of France. Yet in doing so, he also was careful to absorb lessons from the Battle of France regarding both the nature of Blitzkrieg and possible ways of preventing it. Perhaps the most immediately salient lesson was in fact not a lesson at all but rather a reinforcement of earlier trends first observed during the Spanish Civil War in the importance of armour and the immediate need for new anti-tank weapons. Thus, a key part of the Anglo-Albanian negotiations in 1940 centered around the continued development of the GZ 39, an infantry portable recoilless anti-tank weapon which fired a shaped charge. While development had started in 1938, its low priority meant that only a few prototypes were ready by June 1940. Zog sent them to the UK along with plans for a similar rocket propelled weapon in the hopes that further development could yield a weapon for not only his forces but British forces as well. Little did he know that the initial attention his designs received as a potential weapon for the Home Guard would blossom into one of the most effective infantry-based antitank weapons of the war…
Panzerfaust_1.jpg
Zog's prototype is definitely closer to the top picture, but he's got a few improvements in mind.
…Zog's involvement in the development of another key weapon system is less well known but arguably just as important. The Hyde Mark III, variants of which are still in use in conflicts around the world to this day, as well as its American cousins the M2 Hyde and the M3 "Grease Gun" were all the products of yet another one of Zog's American gambles. While investing several hundred thousand dollars in the designs of German immigrant George Hyde seemed foolhardy in the mid-1930s, the outbreak of the Second World War justified Zog's belief that such weapons represented the future of warfare. When coupled with Finnish experiences during the Winter War with their Suomi submachine gun, the Albanian Navy's use of Model 1934 Hyde Submachine guns during their attack on Sazan proved to be the last step to opening the floodgates. Not only were Hyde's production lines quickly overwhelmed, but Zog was able to effectively market his weapons and their cheaper alternatives incredibly well beginning, as he had in the 1930s with placing orders for his own forces. Though the Mark III Hyde would generally be associated with Commonwealth forces and European resistance movements, the initial order was placed for Albanian troops as a part of the Anglo-Albanian negotiations. These weapons attracted the attention of the Home Guard at first which then quickly spread to the rest of the British military beginning with the RAF which was looking to provide more firepower to its airfield defence units. Though some called for a domestic alternative, the Mark III's ease of manufacture, low cost, and effectiveness proved to be overwhelming and in the panic surrounding Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, Churchill himself weighed in to complete the licensing negotiations and begin production…(10)
…While Zogist diplomacy during the war has largely been lauded since the end of the war, building on a trend which began during the war itself, its important to note that this praise emerged alongside criticism thus complicating claims about the origins of Zog's more recent critics. Yet to date, Zog's initial position has always been justified, most notably demonstrated by his resistance to endorse retaliation bombings against Italian cities following the first raids on Albanian cities. Still, his initial insistence that his enemy was the Fascist regime and not the Italian people was wildly unpopular domestically, particularly among the urban population which did not evacuate to their home villages. This public stance was compounded by his private belief in the ineffectiveness of using bombing to lower the morale of the other population and his disparaging remarks about the RAF and ADA's poor accuracy which caused him to avoid the subject in his negotiations with the United Kingdom. Even if he had pursued it, the timetable for a serious RAF bombing campaign targeted against Northern Italian cities was impossibly small in June 1940 and the doctrine which later transformed so many cities into charnel houses was not present. Despite the protestations of both his current and historic critics, Zog had little other choice but to endure the Italian bombing of Albanian cities alongside his people and his choice of rhetoric while unpopular at the time, paved the way for a reconciliatory relationship which proved foundational to not only Albania's liberation but its postwar success.
Notes
6. Rationing didn't even begin on Malta until April 1941 by which point the window to fully reinforce the island provided by Operation Judgement had long since passed.
7. Dobbie was a deeply religious Christian.
8. Poorly constructed air raid shelters were also a major problem during OTL's siege of Malta.
9. Yugoslavia was involved in talks with Ciano to partition Albania in early 1939 in OTL and it closed its border with Albania on the day that the Italians invaded. The Greeks closed theirs shortly afterwards but left it open long enough to allow Zog's wife and newborn son to escape. In TTL both close their borders when the Italians declare war for the same reason they ultimately did in OTL: fear of Italian aggression.
10. Everything I've read points to the high cost and low availability of Thompson SMGs driving the development of the STEN and Lanchester. In TTL' Zog's investment means that Hyde's designs are far more polished and are thus both produced and purchased in large amounts. As for details about the Mark III, I'm thinking of a cross between a STEN and a late model Grease Gun. Anyone care to draw one up for me?
June 16, 1940. Shkoder, Albania.
"Fucking Minority Report!" Musa Juka spat as he finished a shot of incredibly strong Raki fshati(11)
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Ndoc Çoba (12) replied slightly confused "I didn't know you spoke English."
Ndoc_Çoba.jpg
Ndoc Çoba b.1870. This is a younger picture but it's got the best moustache by a mile.
"I don't."
Do I tell him?
Taking a sip of water, Musa swirled the cool liquid around his mouth to alleviate the alcohol's burning before swallowing and continuing "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Your vaunted "King Zog" is actually a puppet controlled by a 21st century demon. Moreover he's so goddamn proud and convinced of his own omniscience that he's decided to fight this whole war with one hand behind his back.
"You should take it!"
"Take what?"
"The King's offer of retirement in Istanbul. There's no shame in it." (13)
Musa took a deep breath. Truth be told, he wasn't particularly fond of Çoba. He never had been, but his usual compatriots were all Army men now. Resisting the urge to verbally berate him for being politically inept and a coward, Musa decided to humor the man.
"Not shame true, but you're more naïve than I thought if you think Istanbul is safer than Albania. How many other Albanians have made that journey only to find a knife in their kidneys or a pillow pressed into their face?"
"You really think Mussolini's people are going to hunt you down in some Turkish café?"
Musa laughed "You really think I'm scared of some Italian pederasts?" (14)
Çoba paused for a moment and then laughed and shook his head "When's the last time Zog had someone killed? Kryeziu? (15) Besides it would look awful…"
"Not as awful as you'd think. What better way to break with the old ways than by conveniently getting rid of the people who built it?" Not to mention making it that much easier for 'secrets' to be kept…
"You're too paranoid my friend!"
"And you're not paranoid enough!" Musa spat back "You really think those Dukagjini bastards are going to take up arms and die like good Albanians for Ahmed Zogolli? (16) After everything we've done? Zog could pay them ten times what he did, it still wouldn't change the fact that they're going to sign up with the Italians at the first possible moment. And they're not the only ones…"
Confusion returned to Çoba's face. "If you know this… then why not take care of things ahead of time?"
Musa didn't answer.
"Minority Report?" Çoba ventured tentatively. The English words sounded even stranger coming out of his mouth.
Musa nodded. "To say the King's American investments have taken his political edge off is a bit of an understatement. 'Innocent until proven Guilty.' That's his mantra when it comes to this issue. He's not going to round people up because of what they might do. In his mind that would only serve to accelerate a civil war."
Musa was impressed with his improvisation. He'd done it a few times before, but nothing compared to what he just did now. Raki truly must work wonders. Far better to tell him that than the alternative about some 21st century American movie.
Çoba nodded "With your best men helping the Army dig trenches…he might be right. You might not have the manpower to pull it off."
Ah yes, trenches… That was the official stance. All in an effort to confuse the Italians. They'd learn quickly enough. He could only hope that Stirling and Percy were enough to make sure that the Army didn't hog all the credit.
"Not just numbers, quality too." The Gendarmes had been the backbone of the Albanian police department since the country's creation. Some cities had their own police forces, but even these were basically just appendages of the Gendarmerie. Truth be told they were barely capable of handling even minor crimes. The Border Guard was a bit better, but not by much and they were of course, all located on the borders and away from the cities and estates Musa was most worried about. The King knew this of course and had left him a few hundred men, mostly from the Legion, but the best were all at the coast with the Army.
"At least you know they're coming." Çoba remarked after a seemingly endless pause, trying to sound hopeful. "That's more than most people get."
"I'm not sure it's going to matter all that much." Musa shot back, pouring himself another shot.
"But you're going to stay and ride this out?"
"I don't think I have another choice." The King wouldn't do anything to him as long as he was useful. Best to stay that way, or at least try.
Çoba took another sip "Well, who knows, maybe you'll outlast the bastards. Lord knows they're probably going to have their share of knives and pillows headed their way if they try to kill Zog now and sidle up to the Italians."
As if to punctuate his point, the cellar they currently found themselves in shook briefly from yet another explosion. While this wasn't their first raid, which meant that they both had the common sense to shield their drinks from the dust that followed, the whole phenomenon still felt strange. So far, the Italians hadn't hit much of anything or even killed that many people but both of them knew that the fumbling which began all wars wasn't going to last. Why else would the King be moving all of his workers and anyone else who could go to their home villages in the mountains?
"They don't like to admit it, but I have it on good authority that even the Dukagjins have a few people working for FMSh in some capacity. Not to mention the fact that their crops, skins, and wool are beneficiaries of the new industries. If that's the position that they're in, imagine how things are going to be for real traitors like the Vërlacis!"
"The Vërlacis are not who I'm worried about. All of those southern beys will get what's coming to them if they join the Italians. Most FMSh workers come from their lands and you're right to say that they're going to face a revolt if they rebel…"
Xoxe will see to that…he'd had his doubts about the young man but both him and Hoxha had impressed him, particularly with their management of the recent evacuations.
"…It's the North that bothers me. The King's new factories and new laws have done more than I ever thought possible, but the Kanun is still strong here and the Muslim extremists around Tirana are still there. Not to mention the fact that we've been fighting against the greatest Albanian "tradition" of all: corruption. If the Italians can convince enough people that there's opportunity with them and that they're defending tradition…"
Çoba laughed "My wife (17) would like to have a word with you about the impact of your vaunted 'tradition.'"
Musa chuckled "I bet she'd like to have a word with me about a lot of things. But all her 'feminism' is just that: words. We both know where the real power lies and too much of it lies in the hands of our enemies."
"Perhaps…" Çoba conceded "…then again, at least we have the English."
That got both of them to laugh grimly. "I'm pretty sure the English have their own problems right now." As much as the King's radio broadcasts and newspapers liked to crow about the new Anglo-Albanian relationship any sober observer knew that for all intents and purposes their position hadn't really changed. If Hitler's bombers had their way in the coming days, it might have gotten measurably worse.
"Well then, I guess we'll have to hope you're wrong… I seem to remember you saying something about the tax reform… I just can't seem to remember…would you mind…"
"Normally I'd strangle you Çoba…but I'm too fucking tired…and too fucking drunk. Besides you and I both know that while I think you're wrong, I sure as hell hope you're right. The last thing we need is for the Albanians to claw at each other while the Italians sip their wine and laugh."
Notes
11. EN: Village Raki. Speaking from personal experience, the raki you get out in the villages is an entirely different animal than the stuff you can buy in Tirana.
12. See Part IV. Çoba was installed by Zog as a replacement for Fiqri Dine as Gendarme commander for the Northwest/Shkoder.
13. Musa moved to Istanbul in OTL after 1945 and lived quite well on Zog's dime while doing little to advance the monarchy's restoration before his eventual death from natural causes.
14. Pederasts is a fairly common insult in Albanian, more or less equivalent to f*g or p*ssy. I've been called it when I had the temerity to put on a seatbelt in a Tirana cab.
15. Zog had his brother in law Ceno Bey Kryeziu assassinated in Prague in 1927 due to potentially plotting to kill him.
16. See Part IV for more explanation.
17. Shaqe Çoba was a famed Albanian feminist. More on her later.