William, prince of Wied

William, prince of Wied, 1876–1945, mpret [ruler] of Albania (1914), third son of William, prince of Wied, nephew of Elizabeth of Romania. A German army officer, he was selected by the great powers of Europe, with consent of the Albanians, to be ruler of the independent Albania that was created after the Balkan Wars. Civil war soon made his position untenable, and he had no support among the large powers. The coming of World War I broke down all foreign aid. A rebellion under Essad Pasha was successful, and in Sept., 1914, William was forced to retire, although he refused to abdicate.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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