General Enrico Tellini: The Forgotten Martyr of Albania’s Borders

On August 27, 1923, near Albania’s southern border, Italian General Enrico Tellini was assassinated while serving as chairman of the International Commission tasked by the Conference of Ambassadors with determining the Albanian-Greek frontier. He was killed just two days after his 52nd birthday, in an ambush orchestrated by the Greek government, as later confirmed by the International Investigative Commission.

General Enrico Tellini

Tellini was widely respected for his integrity and for his commitment to defending Albania’s rightful borders. He insisted that the frontier should include Northern Çamëria and even Ioannina, a stance that provoked fierce hostility from Athens. The Greek press branded him an “enemy of Greece,” while Greek soldiers attempted to intimidate and obstruct the work of the commission.

His assassination caused a major international scandal. Although Greece was forced to pay heavy reparations, the final border demarcation still resulted in an unjust outcome for Albania. Nearly a century later, the legacy of these unresolved territorial disputes continues to cast a shadow.

In recognition of his sacrifice, the city of Tirana honored Tellini in 1933 by naming a central boulevard “Shëtitorja Telini.” In 1941, Albania’s most renowned sculptor, Odhise Paskali, erected a statue of the general. Yet after 1947, the communist regime removed both the boulevard name and the monument, erasing Tellini’s memory from public space.

Today, Enrico Tellini remains a largely forgotten martyr—a man who shed his blood for Albania’s borders, only to be consigned to silence by shifting political winds. His story is a reminder of the price paid for justice and the fragility of historical memory.