Dr. Marku considers his first book to be a contribution to our national history. Indeed, the content of Dokumente Diplomatike Italiane për Historinë e Shqiptarëve gjatë Vitit 1912 presents declassified diplomatic dispatches during the first half of the year preceding the emergence of the modern state of Albania. The documents, presented in Dr. Marku’s book, shed light on the intensity of the early twentieth-century political affairs as Albanian territories faced multiple threats. “On one hand, the approaching demise of the Ottoman Empire threatened the vested interests of the Great Powers as Austro-Hungary and Italy were intent on protecting the status-quo, on the other hand, the Albanian patriots like Ismail Qemal Beu, Hasan Prishtina, Preng Bibë Doda, who appreciated the volatile situation and delicate balance held by powerful conflicting political forces of the time yet they lobbied and depended on the foreign offices’ military support against the Ottomans,” recounts Dr. Marku in our interview.
He argues that the project underlines the need to integrate and incorporate the Italian documents of the era into Albania’s historical studies. The diplomatic messages delivered by the Italian Foreign Office as policy guidelines are evidence that Rome had a great deal of information at its disposal and also corroborate Italy’s primary interest in the Balkans, the Albanian organizational capabilities, the Ottoman’s Empire internal state of affairs, the position of the Balkan states and that of the Great Powers with regard to the Albanian case. The topics covered in the diplomatic communications pertain to political, economic, and social situation of the Albanian people providing information that is not confined to history, but rather pertains to politics, economics, sociology etc.
Dr. Marku admits that archival research in Albania and abroad is the primary task of any scholar. There is no doubt that he adheres to this principle and finds that it’s difficult “to wrap up once you go into the realm of research and the studying of historic and diplomatic documents.” His passion for one particular subject began early on in his hometown of Lezhe, an ancient city in Albania, which is mostly referred by the name Lissus in historical documents. Driven by his dedication to study political history and intermational sciences, Marku received his college education at University La Sapienza, in Rome, Italy. He pursued his doctoral degree from the same University. Dr. Marku is a member of the Institute of History at the Academy of Albanological Studies. As a researcher in the U.S., Dr. Marku is a regular contributor of articles, papers, monographs for various publications, domestic and international, as well as a guest speaker at forums, symposiums and conventions.
Dr. Marku’s first book is published by the Institute of History, Academy of Albanalogical Studies, in Tirana, Albania. During his research work and preparation, he has spent years sifting through at least 16,000 documents in the Italian language, out of which, he has selected what go in the content of the book and he did the translations into Albanian, in accordance with scientific standards. The messages and directives provided for Italian diplomatic missions and representatives are in line with the foreign policy coming from Rome. Yet, what is communicated through these materials corroborates the thought-out moves by the Albanian political elite towards the final period of the five-century rule and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, which prompted internal reforms and fueled menacing scenarios for Albanian lands premised on rival interests of its neighbors and conflicting plays by foreign offices.
For the purpose of the interview, we have singled out two crucial moments: the meeting of the political elite at the Tasim quarters in Stamboll, in January 1912 that laid out the platform and future relations of the Albanian leadership with the Ottoman Porte, and the position of the elected representatives of the Albanian people in the Stamboll Parliament which convened for the first time at the end of 1908 even though it was established de jure since 1876.
In answer to my question regarding Albanian diplomacy then and now, Dr. Marku said that the service of foreign policy is a craft in itself that carries important takeaways particularly from the past and the tangled circumstances that Albanians found themselves in the first half of the 20th century, both historically and politically. The book harkens back to a time known as the Independence Period. In span nearing twelve decades and two centuries from Independence to today, a number of thesis statements, theories, pseudo-thesis and counter-arguments have been circulating that have often polarized political opinions and muddied historical truths. Dr. Marku takes pride in recognizing that “the book does a thorough job in covering the period under review furnishing information to anyone with a deep interest in the past of Albanian people and the four vilayet or provinces: Kosova, Shkodra, Manastiri and Yaonina, as documented in the files of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Dr. Marku, who is also a Vatra advisor on education, culture and national history, expressed his appreciation for the book promotion held at Vatra offices in the Bronx by the Federation and Dielli. On the evening of April 13th, a group of Vatra members and friends celebrated the release of the book. In his opening remarks, Vatra Chairman, Elmi Berisha said that “Vatra has provided a platform for authors responsible for such valuable works in the nation’s history, humanities, science and culture.” Mr. Berisha praised Dr. Paulin Marku’s work as a testament of his years-long research and dedication to Albanian history and national identity. He noted that Marku is a member of the Institute of History at the Academy of Albanological Studies and that Vatra has an excellent partnership with the Institute and is committed to further invest in the research area. Indeed, a five volume book on the History of Vatra is being led by the Director of the Institute of History, Beqir Meta.
As a researcher in the U.S., Dr. Marku is a regular contributor of articles, papers, monographs for various publications, domestic and international, as well as a guest speaker at forums, symposiums and conventions.
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