Prenk Pervizi was an Albanian military figure, General of the Albanian army, who served as Minister of Defence for a short period during World War II.
27 Facts About Prenk Pervizi
1.
2.
Prenk Pervizi opposed the German SS troops recruitment process in Albania.
3.
Prenk Pervizi spent the rest of his life in Belgium, where he died at age 80, on 6 September 1977.
4.
Prenk Pervizi was a friend and collaborator of Ahmet Zogu, and they had known each other since his stay in Vienna and the participation in the Congress of Lushnje where Zogu became minister.
5.
Prenk Pervizi defended Zogu and the government during the Albanian Revolt of 1922, when guerrillas of Elez Isufi and Zija Dibra attempted to make a Coup d'Etat, marched down to Tirana and threatened to get control of the capital by force.
6.
Prenk Pervizi was not able to thwart a subsequent coup d'etat, which began 24 June 1924.
7.
Albania was divided by Zog into four military zones and Prenk Pervizi was in charge along with the other three captains.
8.
At this point, Zogu called Prenk Pervizi, giving him full powers to quell the revolt.
9.
Prenk Pervizi remained in friendly relations with the Kingdom of Italy.
10.
In 1929, having completed his duty, Prenk Pervizi was sent to the School of War in Turin.
11.
Prenk Pervizi had sent his children for education in Italy since elementary school, in Lanzo Torinese, in the College of Don Bosco, a prestigious institution which the children of the House of Savoy, the King and Prince Umberto II of Italy attended.
12.
Prenk Pervizi was a special guest invited to the wedding of Prince Umberto, whose mother was Elena of Montenegro, and who supported the theory that Montenegrins and Albanians were of the same Illyrian origin.
13.
Prenk Pervizi received the title "Officer of the Order of Chivalry of Saint Maurice and Lazarus".
14.
Prenk Pervizi did not accept and shortly thereafter retired in Belgium.
15.
Prenk Pervizi went back and warned the King Zog on intentions of Benito Mussolini.
16.
Prenk Pervizi was forced to defend the King and to follow him in Greece.
17.
Prenk Pervizi apologized for not having promoted him to higher ranks, and tried to repair the serious mistakes of not listening to the advice of his loyal friend and respected military figure.
18.
Once he returned to Albania, Prenk Pervizi was met by the Generals Alberto Pariani and Alfredo Guzzoni, asking him to adapt to the situation and explaining to him that they were not interested in losing the existing Albanian army.
19.
Prenk Pervizi showed himself available and requested for the Albanian army to not participate in any action against the population alongside the Italian army.
20.
Prenk Pervizi was formally given the rank of Colonel, as Italians were aware of his figure and patriotic influence and sympathy that he enjoyed in the army and the population, and they were afraid to give an excuse a discontent that could deteriorate into an armed rebellion.
21.
Some battalions of the Albanian army were staged into the divisions "Venezia" and "Julia" with Prenk Pervizi representing the Albanian army at the high command of the operations.
22.
Prenk Pervizi came into conflict with Italian generals who were making fun of the "poor quality of Albanian soldiers", based on the fact that an Albanian units had been decimated by the Greeks.
23.
Prenk Pervizi immediately returned to the headquarters and protested in the face of two generals Visconti Prasca and Ubaldo Soddu, and all the Italian command, that Albanian soldiers were not to be used as cannon fodder.
24.
Italians, angered by this act, asked to bring those responsible before a military tribunal, but in the end, fearing further complications and worse consequences, the only proceeding was the transfer of Albanian soldiers in the mountains of the north while Prenk Pervizi got dislocated and isolated in the area of Puka.
25.
Prenk Pervizi was mentioned at the Conference of Mukje in August 1943, where he was proposed as commander-in-chief of the Albanian army, after the surrender of Italy on 8 September 1943.
26.
Prenk Pervizi made the acquaintance of Colonel Neil McLean, and other officers as Julian Amery and David Smiley.
27.
Prenk Pervizi proposed to the British to form a commanding unit with them, and organized militarily forces to oppose the Communists who were about to take power without meeting any significant resistance.