Insights on the national and religious war character of Gjergj Kastrioti-Skanderbeg

• Author: Muhamet Mala
• Position: University of Pristina ? Kosovo
• Pages: 233-238

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

Vol. 1 No. 1

January 2017

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

233

Insights on the national and religious war character of Gjergj Kastrioti-Skan-

derbeg

Assoc. Prof. Muhamet Mala

University of Pristina – Kosovo

Abstract

Regarding the anti-O oman war of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, various scientifi c circles

but also theological ones have o en laid the dilemma as to what character was this war -

religious or national one. Based on relevant sources, this paper concludes that the anti-

O oman war of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg proved to be a successful combination of national

and religious elements due to the support of Papacy but also due to Christian religious

a liation of Albanians. Albanians belonged to two Christian religions, namely Orthodoxy

and Catholicism, and therefore Skanderbeg maneuvered successfully on the religious aspect

by overcoming distinctions between these two religions; thus maintaining the internal unity as

opposed to external dissention of these religions, he granted to the war a national character as

well. At this time, the orthodox Byzantium was almost entirely defeated causing the Catholic

Church to take over the role of organizing the defense. For the organization of a successful

defense, Papacy supported the Albanian resistance led by Skanderbeg, but it also tried to

benefi t in terms of religious aspect, seeking unifi cation of Orthodoxy with Catholicism. Under

these circumstances, Albanian territories, just where Orthodoxy and Catholicism met, were

found in a position that required cautious handling to avoid eventual dissention within the

Christianity and at the same time to organize an e ective anti-O oman resistance. Hence,

Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg became the main mastermind of inter-Albanian Christian religious

tolerance maintaining the same position both versus Catholicism and Orthodoxy thus giving

rise to a powerful Albanian inter-religious unity in favor of the defense from O omans and

successfully intertwining the national war with the religious one.

Keywords: national, religious, war, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg.

Introduction

Under unfavorable military and political circumstances for the Balkans and Europe,

Papacy which necessarily granted to the anti-O oman war also a religious character,

was considered a decisive factor of the anti-O oman war. Actually, Catholic Church-

led a empts were made with regard to organization of crusades that would be a

“spiritus muvens” of a wide anti-O oman movement. In the context of defending the

unoccupied part of the Balkans, Albanians became an important factor of cooperation

with Western trends which had assumed the organization of the anti-O oman

defense. In these anti-O oman trends, the Catholic Church played undoubtedly the

greatest role, namely popes who held the lead of this institution with a great military,

political and moral power of the time and even Albanians became no doubt, the

support factor of such a policy.1 Evidently, under circumstances of the time, the anti-

1 During the war of Skanderbeg against O omans, fi ve popes succeeded the throne of the Holy