Legality Movement
Albanian royalist political faction (1941-1945)
title: "Legality Movement" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1941-establishments-in-albania", "1945-disestablishments-in-albania", "albanian-militant-groups", "albanian-monarchists", "political-parties-established-in-1941", "political-parties-disestablished-in-1945", "albania-in-world-war-ii", "anti-communist-organizations-in-albania", "albanian-resistance", "monarchism-in-albania", "zog-i"] description: "Albanian royalist political faction (1941-1945)" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_Movement" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Albanian royalist political faction (1941-1945) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox War Faction"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Legality Movement |
| native_name | Lëvizja Legaliteti |
| war | World War II |
| image | [[File:Stema e Mbretnisë Shqiptare.png |
| caption | Coat of arms of the Albanian Kingdom |
| active | 1943–1945 |
| ideology | Monarchism |
| Albanian nationalism | |
| leaders | Abaz Kupi |
| headquarters | Mat |
| area | Albania |
| disbanded | 1945 |
| allies | *Allied Powers |
| opponents | *Albanian partisans |
| battles | Albanian resistance of World War II |
| :: |
| name = Legality Movement | native_name = Lëvizja Legaliteti | war = World War II | image = [[File:Stema e Mbretnisë Shqiptare.png|200px]] | caption = Coat of arms of the Albanian Kingdom | active = 1943–1945 | ideology = Monarchism Albanian nationalism | leaders = Abaz Kupi | clans = | headquarters = Mat | area = Albania | size = | partof = | predecessor = | disbanded = 1945 | allies = *Allied Powers
- United Kingdom
- Balli Kombëtar | opponents = *Albanian partisans
- Axis | battles = Albanian resistance of World War II
- Albanian Civil War (1943–1944) | status =
The Legality Movement () were an Albanian royalist and pro-monarchy faction founded in 1941. It was led by Abaz Kupi.
Ideology
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Ahmet-Zogu-1895---1961.jpg" caption="Zog I of Albania"] ::
The Legaliteti sought the return of King Zog, who had fled the country on the eve of the Italian invasion. The Legaliteti consisted of supporters from mostly the northern mountain tribes, particularly the Mati region. The Legaliteti were anti-communist. In the end of Albanian Resistance war they formed a government with Balli Kombëtar against the germans and LANÇ.
History
The negative action of the Albanian Communists on the Kosovo issue alienated a significant number of its adherents from that border region. Following November 1943, Abaz Kupi, until the Mukje Agreement, was a member of the Central Council of the NLM, withdrew with others to form the Legaliteti. Kupi was a respected Gheg chieftain who had commanded King Zog's troops in Durrës when the Italians invaded Albania. In the early 1940s, three new political factions emerged within Albania after the Italians were defeated: the Albanian Communists, Balli Kombëtar (National Front), and Legaliteti (Legality).
After the outbreak of the Albanian Civil War, the communists reached Tirana in 1944. The communist 5th Brigade fought against the Legality Movement's headquarters at Tujan Pass. Abaz Kupi withdrew to avoid further civil war, informing King Zog of the bloodshed. In Mat, partisans clashed with Legality forces, including a battle in Fushë-Aliaj on July 9, where 21 partisans were killed. This was one of their few engagements.
The Allies originally supported the Legaliteti. Being the smallest faction with no significant influence in Albania, the Allies broke aid with the Legaliteti and aided the Yugoslav Partisans, who in turn backed the Albanian communists. In 1945, the Albanian communists assumed control over Albania at the end of World War II in Europe. Most Legaliteti members were executed or had escaped to the west.
Legacy
The monarchist Legality Movement Party takes its name from the group.
References
References
- https://perqasje.com/2018/11/legaliteti-dhe-balli-vellezerit-siameze-te-kombetarizmit-dhe-antikomunizmit-nga-letrat-e-mithat-frasherit/
- Redaksia. (2018-11-21). "Legaliteti dhe Balli, vëllezërit siamezë të kombëtarizmit dhe antikomunizmit (nga letrat e Mit’hat Frashërit)".
- Irene Grünbaum. (1996). "Escape Through the Balkans: The Autobiography of Irene Grünbaum". U of Nebraska Press.
- Peter Lucas. (2007). "OSS in World War Two Albania by Peter Lucas". McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
- Erald, Kapri. "Sekretet e Luftës". Instituti Lumo Skëndo.
- Walter R. Roberts. (1987). "Tito, Mihailović, and the allies, 1941-1945". Duke University Press.
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