|
The postal history of Northern Epirus, a region in the western Balkans, in southern modern Albania, comprises two periods; 1912–1916 and 1940-41. Northern Epirus was under Greek administration during the First Balkan War (1912–1913), but it was then awarded to the newly founded Albanian state by the Florence Protocol (1913). During this period, Greek stamps were used. Greece withdrew from the region in early 1914. The people of Epirus were unwilling to be part of Albania, though, and launched a revolution. Under a provisional government, the independent Northern Epirus was formed in February 1914 and it eventually managed to gain full autonomy under nominal Albanian sovereignty, according to the Protocol of Corfu (May 1914). Northern Epirus operated its own postal service and issued postage stamps, both official and unofficial, during that year. Greek armies returned to occupy Epirus in November 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, but were driven out by Italian forces in 1916. During this time Greek stamps overprinted with B. ΗΠΕΙΡΟΣ (N. Epirus) were used. After the war, the region was confirmed as part of Albania. Epirus briefly came under Greek control again in 1940, after Italy launched an invasion of Greece from Albania. A successful Greek counter-attack occupied much of southern Albania, including Epirus. This lasted until 1941, when Germany invaded and conquered Greece. As earlier, overprinted Greek stamps were used in Epirus during the period of Greek control. ==Greek Occupation 1912-1914== The first stamps used in Epirus, following its occupation by Greece in 1912, were Greek stamps overprinted with ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΙΟIΚΗΣΙΣ (Hellenic Administration); these were succeeded in 1913 by newly issued Greek stamps, the so-called "Campaign issue". Both were meant only for use in the newly occupied areas, or "New Territories". Following Greece's 1914 withdrawal and the founding of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus, a number of stamps were released in the region. They included official definitive stamps, stamps for local use and unofficial issues. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Postage stamps and postal history of Northern Epirus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|