Skanderbeg, a man born in 1405 as Gjergj Kastrioti is a legend that most people outside of the region have never heard of. However that was not always the case. Skanderbeg and his exploits were widely known for centuries. But it’s been 550 years since then.

Albania had been under pressure from both the Venetians and the Ottomans. Gjon Kastrioti, Gjergj’s father, walked a fine line trying to keep his locale safe. When the Venetians pressed, Gjon said he was Christian, and when the Ottomans dominated Gjon professed allegiance to Islam. At the time Gjergj Kastrioti was born, Albania was ruled by the Ottomans.

Here is current day Turkey:

The Ottoman expansion began in 1299. Here was the Ottoman Empire at its height (1683).

Albania did not have a centralized government. Instead it was a loose conglomeration of chieftains. They were not able to put up much of a fight with whichever aggressor decided to invade.

In any case, the Ottomans didn’t have much interest in the day to day ruling; they were interested in controlling wealth and trade routes. So they allowed local chieftains to continue to rule. However in order to insure compliance, they took one or more of each chieftain’s sons. One of those sons was Gjergj Kastrioti. Some sources say he was 9, some say 12, others 18.

The Ottomans gave Gjergj military training and a new name, Skander. He eventually earned the title, bey (meaning lord or chieftain). Hence, Skanderbeg. He proved to be a skillful warrior. And was soon leading raids against Albanian Christians. This was a problem for Gjon who now lived in Venetian controlled Albania. Eventually, Gjon joined with other Christian Albanians in a failed uprising against the Ottomans. Gjon was banished and his lands taken.

Skanderbeg asked the Ottomans for his father’s lands, and was denied. That was a mistake. (It’s also completely possible that Skanderbeg had planned to return to Albania all along. It depends on which account you read.)

In one of the Ottoman raids in Albania, Skanderbeg defected with a significant number of fellow Albanian soldiers. This was the beginning of his true greatness.

In Lezhë, Albania (I live four kilometers from Lezhë), Skanderbeg managed to unite all the chieftains of Albania against the Ottomans. This was a feat in and of itself. Having been trained in Ottoman military strategies, Skanderbeg proved to be a formidable foe. His military knowledge coupled with Albania’s mountainous terrain allowed the significantly smaller Albanian military force to utilize guerilla warfare tactics and keep the Ottomans at bay for 34 years.

Unsurprisingly, the Venetians supported this effort. A united Albania proved to be a major bulwark between them and the Ottomans, who were intent on eventually taking Rome.

Skanderbeg himself battled the Ottomans for 25 years - until his death in 1468 due to malaria. (Ironic?)

Of course, anyone interested in military history can find detailed information on each battle, the various allegiances, and political intrigue. But that is beyond the scope of this post.