Koço Kotta
Prime Minister of Albania
In office
November 9, 1936 – April 8, 1939
MonarchZog I
Preceded byMehdi Frashëri
Succeeded byShefqet Vërlaci
In office
September 5, 1928 – March 5, 1930
MonarchZog I
Preceded byAhmet Zogu
Succeeded byPandeli Evangjeli
Personal details
Born(1886-05-05)May 5, 1886
Korçë, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
DiedSeptember 1, 1947(1947-09-01) (aged 61)
Burrel Prison, Burrel, Albania
Signature

Kostaq Kotta, also known as Koço Kotta (5 May 1886 – 1 September 1947), was an Albanian politician and twice prime minister during the reign of King Zog, who took a pro-Italian right-wing stance.[1]

Biography

He was educated in Greece and Italy. In the Principality of Albania, he served as the minister of public works and was elected to the Parliament of Albania. During the June Revolution of Fan Noli, Kotta escaped to Greece, but returned to lead the insurgency against Noli that led to the formation of the Albanian Republic under Ahmet Zogu.[2]

He became the speaker of the parliament during Zogu’s presidency and then Prime Minister after Zogu established the Albanian Kingdom.[2] During his first term, he introduced civil code laws based on the Napoleonic model.

In 1936, he headed the government again until resigning after the Italian invasion of Albania. He was a member of Mustafa Merlika-Kruja's cabinet in 1941.[3]

He accompanied Zog into exile in Greece. In December 1944 he was captured by Greek Communists and returned to Albania.[2] He was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment by the Albanian Communists's Special Court of Spring 1945. He died in Burrel Prison in 1947 as a result of torture.[2][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Albania at war, 1939–1945, p. 158, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 1999 -[1]
  2. ^ a b c d Wojciech Roszkowski; Jan Kofman (July 18, 2016). Biographical Dictionary of Central and Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century. Routledge. ISBN 9781317475934.
  3. ^ Albania at war, 1939–1945, p. 116, Bernd Jürgen Fischer, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 1999 -[2]
  4. ^ Aliko, Tomor (2007), GENOCIDE ON THE INTELLECTUAL ELITE OF THE ALBANIAN NATION UNDER THE COMMUNIST TERROR (PDF), Tirana: Shtypshkronja "MALUKA", p. 31, archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2013, retrieved December 28, 2013
Political offices Preceded byAhmet Zogu Prime Minister of Albania September 10, 1928 – March 5, 1930 Succeeded byPandeli Evangjeli Preceded byMehdi Bej Frashëri Prime Minister of Albania November 9, 1936 – April 8, 1939 Succeeded byShefqet Bej Vërlaci
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