POLITIKA E JASHTME ITALIANE DHE PROGRAMI I ISMAIL QEMALIT PËR ARSIMIN NË SHQIPËRI

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Italian foreign policy, driven by its geostrategic interests in the Balkans, identified Albania as a key ally in countering Greek influence and Slavic incursions along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts. In this context, the formation of an Albanian state and the strengthening of national consciousness became central to Italy’s regional agenda, with education and the promotion of the Albanian language seen as essential tools. Archival evidence from the Italian diplomatic records reflects this commitment, especially through support for Ismail Qemali’s program to open Albanian-language schools and adopt a Latin-based alphabet—an instrument he believed would reshape Albanian mentality and align it more closely with Europe. In the Albanian case, language was the most cohesive pillar of national identity, making the unification of the alphabet a foundational priority. The alphabet, therefore, represented not only a linguistic choice but also a political strategy aimed at overcoming internal regional and cultural divisions and building national unity on the path toward state formation.