Paper Title
Albania In Search of a “Big Brother” Albania’s Oil Concession and the British-Italian Rivalry, February-March 1925

Abstract
In the interwar period, European countries were constantly competing for predominance in different underdeveloped regions of the world. Albania was a newly created, small and backward European country, but the rival interests of several powers turned it into a bone of contention preventing her from being given a fair start. In 1925, the Albanian president, Ahmet Zog tried to obtain the political and economic support of Great Britain, considering it as crucial for balancing the negative influence the Albania’s neighbors had on her. Great Britain was declared neutral in the internal political developments of Albania thus Zog thought to raise its interest by granting the oil prospecting rights to the British Anglo-Persian Oil Company. This would cause the jealousy and grievance of the Italian government which considered Albania as its exclusive sphere of influence, and friction between the two powers followed. Although, Britain and Italy came to a compromise about the oil concessions, the whole event was accompanied by suspicions, political intrigue and diplomatic crises. The Albanian oil concessions question was an example of Great Powers rivalry and a reflection of Albania’s fragile independence. Keywords - Albania, APOC, Great Britain, Italy, Oil concession, Zog