Skanderbeg's rebellion

Skanderbeg's rebellion
Skanderbeg's portrait
Date 28 November 1443 — 17 January 1468 Location Sanjak of Albania (north) Sanjak of Dibra (east) Sanjak of Ohrid (east) (all in the Ottoman Empire — modern day Albania and Macedonia) Result The rebellion ended with Skanderbeg's natural death. Ottomans captured all territories held by rebels by 1478, except Kruje which was taken by the Republic of Venice with Albanian support.
Belligerents
League of Lezhë (1444-50) Principality of Kastrioti	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Skanderbeg Vrana Konti Ramon d’Ortafà Baldassare Perducci Nicolo Moneta Gjergj Arianiti Peter Perlati Moisi Golemi 1443-55,1456-64 Vladan Jurica Marin Spani Andrea Thopia Muzaka Thopia †	Murad II Mehmed II Ali Pasha Koca Davud Pasha Ballaban Badera † Moisi Golemi 1455-56 Tahip Pasha †
Units involved
League of Lezhë (1444-1450)
Strength
maximum 10,000-15,000	maximum 100,000-150,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy

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 will succeed to push Ottomans out of Europe. Like many other regional Ottoman officials, he deserted Ottoman army to rise rebellion in his sanjak of Dibra and 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.

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 where his forces exclusively drawn from Albanians. Rather, his revolt represents a reaction by certain sections of local society and feudal lords against the loss of privilege and the exactions of the Ottoman government which they resented. Skanderbeg's rebellion instead was a northern Albanian uprising against a foreign occupation and his forces were also joined by people of other ethnicities. In addition the rebels fought against members of their own ethnic groups because the Ottoman forces, both commanders and soldiers, were also composed of local people (Albanians, Slavs, Vlachs, Greeks and Turkish timar holders).

Skanderbeg managed to capture Krujë using a forged letter of sultan and, according to some sources, impaled captured Ottoman officials who refused to be baptized into Christianity. On 2 March 1444 the regional Albanian and Serbian chieftains united against the Ottoman Empire and established an alliance (League of Lezhë) which was dissolved by 1450.

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