Despite the extensive analysis of the historical, political and
legal background of many Balkan conflicts in recent years, little
attention has been paid to the tragedy of the Cham ethnic
community. In 1913 the commission entrusted by the London
Conference of Ambassadors to define the southern borders of the
newly created state of Albania ended its proceedings with the
Protocol of Florence, which provided that the territories inhabited
by almost half of the Albanian population were exempted from the
boundaries of the new state. While nearly 800,000 inhabitants found
themselves within the new state of Albania, the territories
inhabited by the remaining 700,000 ethnic Albanians became
constituent parts of Serbia and Greece - the winners of the Balkan
Wars. The land of the Chams, a coastal area between southern
Albania and north-west Greece known as 'Chameria', was entirely
incorporated into Greece. Since that time, the predominantly Muslim
Chams have faced severe persecution and forced expulsion from their
homes in Greece, particularly under the Metaxas regime, when the
Chams were prohibited from using their own language outside of
their home, and also during World War II, when Chams were
persecuted in retaliation for their collaboration with the Axis
powers. In the aftermath of World War II, the continued persecution
of the Chams forced many to return to Albania, or to seek refuge in
Turkey or the United States with the result that, after the war,
only just over 100 Muslim Cham Albanians were left in Greece. In
recent years, following the collapse of communism in Albania, when
foreign travel again became possible, many have sought to return to
their homelands in Greece and to regain their property. The
documents gathered together in this book consist of records of the
League of Nations and the British Mission, as well as documents
assembled by other diplomatic missions between 1913 and the 1960s.
Together, they address all of the periods of forced expulsions of
the Cham population from Greece. The publication of these documents
provides an unparalleled historical record of the Cham story. This
book will be essential reading for scholars of Balkan history,
politics and human rights. It will provide a fascinating insight
into one of the forgotten tragedies of the twentieth century.
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