The 15th century figure Skanderbeg who is remembered for his struggle against the Ottoman Empire is considered the national hero of which country?
"Skanderbeg (""İskender Bey""), an Albanian noble and a former member of the Ottoman ruling elite, prevented the Ottoman expansion into the Italian peninsula. Skanderbeg had united the Albanian Principalities in a fight against the Empire in the League of Lezhë in 1444. Mehmed II couldn't subjugate Albania and Skanderbeg while the latter was alive, even though twice (1466 and 1467) he led the Ottoman armies himself against Krujë. After death of Skanderbeg in 1468, Albanians couldn't find a leader to replace him and Mehmed II eventually conquered Krujë and Albania in 1478. The final act of his Albanian campaigns was"
"The Great Warrior Skanderbeg The Great Warrior Skanderbeg (; ) is a 1953 Soviet-Albanian biopic directed by Sergei Yutkevich. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival where it earned the International Prize. Yutkevich also earned the Special Mention award for his direction. The film is a biography of George Kastriot Skanderbeg (1405 – 1468), widely known as Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian lord who defended his land against the Ottoman Empire for more than two decades. In 2012, for the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence, the film was remastered for high definition with new voices, music, and sound effects."
"The Great Warrior Skanderbeg The Great Warrior Skanderbeg (; ) is a 1953 Soviet-Albanian biopic directed by Sergei Yutkevich. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival where it earned the International Prize. Yutkevich also earned the Special Mention award for his direction. The film is a biography of George Kastriot Skanderbeg (1405 – 1468), widely known as Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian lord who defended his land against the Ottoman Empire for more than two decades. In 2012, for the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence, the film was remastered for high definition with new voices, music, and sound effects."
"main legacy was the inspiration he gave to all of those who saw in him a symbol of the struggle of Christendom against the Ottoman Empire. During the Albanian National Awakening Skanderbeg was a symbol of national cohesion and cultural affinity with Europe. Skanderbeg's struggle against the Ottomans became highly significant to the Albanian people. It strengthened their solidarity, made them more conscious of their identity, and was a source of inspiration in their struggle for national unity, freedom, and independence. Contemporary Muslim Albanians deemphasize the (Christian) religious heritage of Skanderbeg by viewing him as a defender of the nation"
"Hills, Michigan. It is the first statue of Skanderbeg to be erected in the United States. His name is also commemorated in Skanderbeg Military University in Tirana; Skënderbeu Stadium, home of KF Skënderbeu Korçë; and the Order of Skanderbeg. 50 Facts about George Kastrioti Skanderbeg life, the Albanian National Hero (Oculus News) Skanderbeg George Castriot (, 6 May 1405 – 17 January 1468), known as Skanderbeg ( or ""Skënderbeu"" from ), was an Albanian nobleman and military commander, who served the Ottoman Empire in 1423–43, the Republic of Venice in 1443–47, and lastly the Kingdom of Naples until his death."
"into Western Europe, giving the Italian principalities more time to better prepare for the Ottoman arrival. While the Albanian resistance certainly played a vital role, it was one of numerous relevant events that played out in the mid-15th century. Much credit must also go to the successful resistance mounted by Vlad III Dracula in Wallachia and Stephen III the Great of Moldavia, who dealt the Ottomans their worst defeat at Vaslui, among many others, as well as the defeats inflicted upon the Ottomans by Hunyadi and his Hungarian forces. Skanderbeg is considered today a commanding figure not only in the"
"battles against the Ottoman Empire was Naim Frashëri, Albanian poet and writer in ""Histori e Skënderbeut"" [History of Skanderbeg] published in 1898. A short story ""Đurađ Kastriotić Skenderbeg"" written by the Serbian writer Stevan Sremac was published in 1909. In The Castle, work written in 1970 by Ismail Kadare, an Albanian writer who was several times candidate for Nobel prize, which refers to Skanderbeg though he is not a protagonist. Skanderbeg is the protagonist of three 18th-century British tragedies: William Havard's ""Scanderbeg, A Tragedy"" (1733), George Lillo's ""The Christian Hero"" (1735), and Thomas Whincop's ""Scanderbeg, Or, Love and Liberty"" (1747)."
"national consciousness of Albanians but also of 15th-century European history. According to archival documents, there is no doubt that Skanderbeg had already achieved a reputation as a hero in his own time. The failure of most European nations, with the exception of Naples, to give him support, along with the failure of Pope Pius II's plans to organize a promised crusade against the Ottomans meant that none of Skanderbeg's victories permanently hindered the Ottomans from invading the Western Balkans. In 1481 Sultan Mehmet II captured Otranto and massacred the male population, thus proving what Skanderbeg had been warning about. Skanderbeg's"
"to develop the myth of Albanian resistance to foreign enemies that threatened the ""fatherland"" and the unity of the Albanian nation. Albanian nationalists needed an episode from medieval history to centre Albanian nationalist mythology upon and chose Skanderbeg in the absence of a medieval kingdom or empire. From the 15th to the 19th century Skanderbeg's fame survived mainly in Christian Europe and was based on a perception of Skanderbeg's Albania serving as Antemurale Christianitatis (a barrier state) against ""invading Turks"". In Albania, largely Islamicized during this period, Skanderbeg's fame faded and was rediscovered at the end of the 19th century"
"of the states of Epirus, Skanderbeg was elected general of the Turkish war and each of the allies engaged to furnish his respective proportion of men and money"". Under a red flag bearing Skanderbeg's heraldic emblem, an Albanian force held off Ottoman campaigns for twenty-five years and overcame a number of the major sieges: Siege of Krujë (1450), Second Siege of Krujë (1466–67), Third Siege of Krujë (1467) against forces led by the Ottoman sultans Murad II and Mehmed II. For 25 years Skanderbeg's army of around 10,000 men marched through Ottoman territory winning against consistently larger and better supplied"
"Year of Skanderbeg The Year of Skanderbeg () is a nationwide commemorative year in Albania which coincides with the 550th anniversary of the death of the Albanian national hero, Skanderbeg. Announced on 17 September 2017, it was the first decision undertaken by Albanian prime minister Edi Rama during his second cabinet's first day in office. A special commission is to be set up for the organizing and promoting of events leading up to the anniversary. Later in the year, two other anniversaries of fundamental importance in the History of Albania will be celebrated: the """"140th anniversary of the establishment of"
"and he is promoted as an Albanian symbol of Europe and the West. The trouble Skanderbeg gave the Ottoman Empire's military forces was such that when the Ottomans found the grave of Skanderbeg in the church of St. Nicholas in Lezhë, they opened it and made amulets of his bones, believing that these would confer bravery on the wearer. Indeed, the damage inflicted to the Ottoman Army was such that Skanderbeg is said to have slain three thousand Ottomans with his own hand during his campaigns. Among stories told about him was that he never slept more than five hours"
"Europe from Ottoman occupation."" Fully understanding the importance of the hero to the Albanians, Nazi Germany formed the 21st ""Waffen"" Mountain Division of the SS ""Skanderbeg"" (1st Albanian) in 1944, composed of 6,491 Kosovo Albanian recruits. There are two known works of literature written about Skanderbeg which were produced in the 15th century. The first was written at the beginning of 1480 by Serbian writer Martin Segon who was the Catholic Bishop of Ulcinj and one of the most notable 15th-century humanists, a short but very important biographical sketch on Skanderbeg (). Another 15th-century literary work with Skanderbeg as one"
"and Ohrid. For 25 years, from 1443 – 1468, Skanderbeg's 10,000 men army marched through Ottoman territory winning victory after victory against the consistently larger and better supplied Ottoman forces. Threatened by Ottoman advances in their homeland, Hungary, and later Naples and Venice – their former enemy -, provided the financial backbone and support for Skanderbeg's army. On 14 May 1450, an Ottoman army, larger than any previous force encountered by Skanderbeg or his men, stormed and overwhelmed the castle of the city of Kruja. This city was particularly symbolic to Skanderbeg because he had been appointed suba of Kruja"
"in the service of the Ottomans was a convert to Islam and later reverted to Christianity during the late 15th century northern Albanian uprising he initiated. In doing so, he also ordered others who had embraced Islam or were Muslim colonists to convert to Christianity or face death. Skanderbeg received military assistance from the Kingdom of Naples that sent in 1452 Ramon d’Ortafà who was appointed as viceroy of Albania and tasked with maintaining Catholicism among the local population from the spread of Islam. During the conflicts between Skanderbeg and Ottomans the various battles and raiding pushed Sultan Mehmet II"
"great and longstanding revolt broke under the lead of the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, which lasted until 1479, many times defeating major Ottoman armies led by sultans Murad II and Mehmed II. Skanderbeg united initially the Albanian princes and later established a centralized authority over most of the non-conquered territories, becoming Lord of Albania. He also tried relentlessly but rather unsuccessfully to create a European coalition against the Ottomans. He frustrated every attempt by the Turks to regain Albania, which they envisioned as a springboard for the invasion of Italy and western Europe. His unequal fight against the"
"presented a major obstacle to Ottoman expansion, and he was considered by many in western Europe to be a model of Christian resistance against Muslims. For 25 years, from 1443 to 1468, Skanderbeg's 10,000 man army marched through Ottoman territory winning against consistently larger and better supplied Ottoman forces, for which he was admired. In 1451, he recognized ""de jure"" the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Naples over Albania through the Treaty of Gaeta, to ensure a protective alliance, although he remained a ""de facto"" independent ruler. In 1460–61, he participated in Italy's civil wars in support of Ferdinand I"
"the avenger of his family and country. He raised a red flag with a black double-headed eagle on it: Albania uses a similar flag as its national symbol to this day. Skanderbeg's rebellion was not a general uprising of Albanians. People from the big cities in Albania on the Ottoman-controlled south and Venetian-controlled north did not support him while his followers beside Albanians were also Slavs, Vlachs and Greeks. The rebels did not fight against ""foreign"" invaders but against members of their own ethnic groups because the Ottoman forces, both commanders and soldiers, were also composed of local people (Albanians,"
"1968 for the 500th anniversary of the hero's death. Skanderbeg is the protagonist of three 18th-century British tragedies: William Havard's ""Scanderbeg, A Tragedy"" (1733), George Lillo's ""The Christian Hero"" (1735), and Thomas Whincop's ""Scanderbeg, Or, Love and Liberty"" (1747). A number of poets and composers have also drawn inspiration from his military career. The French 16th-century poet Ronsard wrote a poem about him, as did the 19th-century American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Gibbon, the 18th-century historian, held Skanderbeg in high regard with panegyric expressions. Giammaria Biemmi, an Italian priest, published a work on Skanderbeg titled ""Istoria di Giorgio Castrioto Scanderbeg-Begh"""
"a defender of the nation. Skanderbeg is promoted as an Albanian symbol of Europe and the West. In a post communist environment among some circles myths based on religion with an anti-Western outlook have been generated that views Muslims as the only ""true Albanians"" by celebrating the conversion to Islam as saving Albanians from assimilating into Serbs and Greeks. Some also hold the view that Skanderbeg should not be the national hero as he served the Christians after he betrayed the Ottomans. The Albanian state emphasizes religious tolerance and coexistence without pressuring its citizens to follow a particular faith. The"
"Europe from the ""Asian hordes"" and allowed Albanians to develop the myth of Albanian resistance to foreign enemies that threatened the ""fatherland"" and the unity of the Albanian nation. Albanian nationalists needed an episode from medieval history to centre Albanian nationalist mythology upon and chose Skanderbeg in the absence of a medieval kingdom or empire. From the 15th to the 19th century Skanderbeg's fame survived mainly in Christian Europe and was based on a perception of Skanderbeg's Albania serving as Antemurale Christianitatis (a barrier state) against ""invading Turks"". In Albania, largely Islamicized during this period, Skanderbeg's fame faded and was"
"Skanderbeg in literature and art Skanderbeg has been the subject of many works of art and literature and the inspiration for countless others. It is a motif in the visual arts, the performing arts, poetry, prose and music. Skanderbeg gathered quite a posthumous reputation in Western Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. With much of the Balkans under Ottoman rule and with the Turks at the gates of Vienna in 1683, nothing could have captivated readers in the West more than an action-packed tale of heroic Christian resistance to the ""Moslem hordes"". There are two literature works on Skanderbeg"
"Skanderbeg's rebellion Skanderbeg's rebellion was an almost 25-years long anti-Ottoman rebellion led by renegade Ottoman sanjakbey Skanderbeg on the territory which belonged to the Ottoman sanjaks of Albania, Dibra and Ohrid (modern-day Albania and Macedonia). This rebellion was result of initial Christian victories in the Crusade of Varna in 1443. After Ottoman defeat in the Battle of Niš Skanderbeg, then sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Debar, mistakenly believed that Christians would succeed in pushing the Ottomans out of Europe. Like many other regional Ottoman officials, he deserted the Ottoman army to raise rebellion in his sanjak of Dibra and the"
"surrounding region. Initially, his plan was successful and soon large parts of the Sanjak of Dibra and north-east parts of the Sanjak of Albania were captured by the rebels who also fought against regular Ottoman forces in the Sanjak of Ohrid. The rebellion of Skanderbeg was a rare successful instance of resistance by Christians during the 15th century and through his leadership led Albanians in guerrilla warfare against the Ottomans. Skanderbeg's rebellion was not however a general Albanian uprising; many Albanians did not join it and some even fought against it for the Sultan, nor were his forces exclusively drawn"
"forces. Threatened by Ottoman advances in their homeland, Hungary, and later Naples and Venice – their former enemies – provided the financial backbone and support for Skanderbeg's army. By 1450 it had certainly ceased to function as originally intended, and only the core of the alliance under Scanderbeg and Araniti Comino continued to fight on. The League first distinguished itself under Skanderbeg at the battle of Torvioll where he defeated the Ottoman forces. Skanderbeg's victory was praised through the rest of Europe. The battle of Torvioll thus opened up the quarter-century war between Skanderbeg's Albania and the Ottoman Empire. On"
"under the rule of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, the Albanian national hero. The League was a military alliance of feudal lords in Albania forged in Lezhë on 2 March 1444, initiated and organised under Venetian patronage with Skanderbeg as leader of the regional Albanian and Serbian chieftains united against the Ottoman Empire. The main members of the league were the Arianiti, Balšić, Dukagjini, Muzaka, Spani, Thopia and Crnojevići. For 25 years, from 1443–1468, Skanderbeg's 10,000 man army marched through Ottoman territory winning against consistently larger and better supplied Ottoman forces. Threatened by Ottoman advances in their homeland, Hungary, and later Naples"
"constant Albanian themes of honour, hospitality, treachery and revenge but also Skanderbeg, a legendary 15th century warrior who led the struggle against the Ottomans. These traditions are a form of oral history for the Ghegs and also preserve and inculcate moral codes and social values, necessary in a society that, until the early 20th century, relied on blood feuds as its primary means of law enforcement. The most traditional variety of epic poetry is the Albanian Songs of the Frontier Warriors. These epic poems are sung, accompanied by a lahuta. It is rarely performed in modern Albania, but is found"
"and the Ottoman army returned to Ottoman lands. The threat of Stephen to Wallachia nevertheless ceased. The Albanian resistance led by George Kastrioti Skanderbeg (""İskender Bey""), an Albanian noble and a former member of the Ottoman ruling elite, curbed the Ottoman expansion. Skanderbeg had united the Albanian Principalities in a fight against the Empire in the League of Lezhë in 1444. Mehmed II couldn't subjugate Albania while Skanderbeg was alive, even though he twice (1466 and 1467) led the Ottoman armies himself against Krujë. After Skanderbeg died in 1468, the Albanians couldn't find a leader to replace him, and Mehmed"
"World War. Albanian nationalism contains a series of myths relating to Albanian origins, cultural purity and national homogeneity, religious indifference as the basis of Albanian national identity, and continuing national struggles. The figure of Skanderbeg is one of the main constitutive myths of Albanian nationalism that is based on a person, as other myths are based on ideas, abstract concepts, and collectivism. Some authors argue that Albanian nationalism, unlike its Greek and Serbian counterparts has its origins in a different historical context that did not emerge from an anti-Ottoman struggle and instead dates to the period of the Eastern Crisis"
"celebrated as a Slavic hero, a concept which was incorporated into the movement to justify an expansion of Montenegro into northern Albania. By the end of the 19th century, one could find a wide dissemination of brochures with Skanderbeg being presented as a Slavic hero along the Montenegro-Albania border. The myth is particularly popular in Kuči tribe where the Drekalović brotherhood, also known as ""Novokuči"" (New Kuči) claims descent from him. Serbian historiography supports the theory that Skanderbeg's great-grandfather Branilo was a nobleman from Zeta who was granted possession of Kaninë after taking part in Emperor Stefan Dušan's conquests. This"
"House of Kastrioti The House of Kastrioti () was an Albanian royal and noble family, active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of the Principality of Kastrioti. The first Kastrioti mentioned in historical documents was a kephale of Kaninë in 1368. At the beginning of the 15th century the family controlled the region around Debar (modern westernmost Macedonia and easternmost Albania) at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. The most notable member was Skanderbeg, a magnate and general, regarded as an Albanian national hero. After the fall of the Principality and"
"named after 15th century Albanian nobleman and national hero Skanderbeg. The club quickly became the Alban's main football team, and in 1926 they began to play friendly games against teams from neighbouring countries, starting with Macedonian side Monastir, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In two games played, Skënderbeu won 5–2 and then drew 2–2. Skënderbeu also played friendlies against Greek teams from Ermioni and Thessaloniki, which is modern day Aris FC. They also played against Kavala, who they beat 2–0 in Albania but lost 1–0 against in Greece. The club competed in the first ever national football competition"
"of the main characters was ""Memoirs of a Janissary"" () written in the period of 1490–97 by Konstantin Mihailović, a Serb who was a janissary in the Ottoman Army. Skanderbeg gathered quite a posthumous reputation in Western Europe. In the 16th and 17th centuries, most of the Balkans were under the suzerainty of the Ottomans who were at the gates of Vienna in 1683 and narratives of the heroic Christian's resistance to the ""Moslem hordes"" captivated readers' attention in the West. Books on the Albanian prince began to appear in Western Europe in the early 16th century. One of the"