Secret Committee for the Liberation of Albania

The Secret Committee for the Liberation of Albania (Albanian: Komiteti i fshehtë për lirinë e Shqipërisë) was a secret committee founded in Manastir (modern day Bitola) by Bajo Topulli and other Albanian nationalists in November 1905 to fight for the secession of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. This committee was soon followed by many other similar committees in southern Albania, and aimed at overthrowing the Ottoman rule.[1]

The committee was formed mainly by Albanian intellectual figures and had branches throughout the Albanian lands.[2] On 5 May 1907, a branch of the committee was established in Bucharest, Romania, with the engagement of the Albanian Colony there. The Romanian branch was called "Committee of Albanians for the Freedom of Albania" (Albanian: Komitet i shqipëtarëve për lirin e Shqipërisë) and included beside Topulli even Kristo Meksi, Pandeli Evangjeli, Vasil Zografi, and Veli Këlcyra.[3]

## See also

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* Secret society

## References

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1. ^ Robert Elsie (30 March 2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 449\. ISBN 978-0-8108-6188-6. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
2. ^ Barbara Jelavich (29 July 1983). History of the Balkans: Twentieth century. Cambridge University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-521-27459-3. Retrieved 29 May 2012. "In November 1905 a group of young intellectuals established a secret society in Bitola, with branches throughout the Albanian lands, called the Committee for the Liberation of Albania."
3. ^ Gelcu Sefedin Maksutovici (1992), Istoria comunității albaneze din România [The history of the Albanian community of Romania] (in Romanian), Edituria Kriterion, p. 54, ISBN 9789732603345, OCLC 243805904, "La 5 mai 1907, tot la București, va fi creat un alt organism al mişcării pentru independenţă, intitulat "Komitet i shqipetareve per lirin e Shqiperis", din care făceau parte Kristo Meksi, Pandeli Evangheli, Bajo Topulli, Vasil Zografî, Veli Kelcyra.[On May 5, 1907, also in Bucharest, there will be created another body of the movement for independence, entitled "Komitet i shqipetareve per Lirin e Shqiperis" which included Kristo Meksi Pandeli Evangjeli, Bajo Topulli, Vasil Zografi, and Veli Kelcyra.]"