Ahmet Lepenica born Ahmet Islam Canaj (1872–1941) was an Albanian fighter and commander, known for his role in Battle of Vlora when Albanian irregulars under his leadership fought against Italian troops. Ahmet Lepenica was born in 1872 in Lepenica village in Vlora region. As an adult he served in the Ottoman army where he reached the rank of a captain. He deserted the Ottoman army in 1912 and protected the Vlora region and Albanian delegates during the

Albanian Declaration of Independence The Albanian Declaration of Independence ( Albanian: ''Deklarata e Pavarësisë'') was the declaration of independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. Independent Albania was proclaimed in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Six days later the Ass ...

. From 1912 to 1914 while elevated in the rank of Major and appointed as a commander of Albanian gendarme forces, he fought against Greek irregulars in South Albania. He retired in his native village when Southern Albania was invaded by Italian troops during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1919 he became active again in Albanian politics and in 1920 he was appointed as the commander in chief of Albanian forces during

Vlora War The Vlora War or the War of 1920 ( sq, Lufta e Vlorës or ''Lufta e Njëzetës''; it, Guerra di Valona) was a series of battles between Italian forces garrisoned throughout the Vlorë region of Albania (an Italian protectorate) and Albanian nati ...

. The Albanian success in the battlefield was followed by a peace treaty with Italy, in which Italy acknowledged the territorial integrity of Albanian state. After that, he was appointed as a commander of Albanian gendarmes in Vlora region. Ahmet Lepenica participated in the Democratic Revolution of 1924 in Albania, and when Ahmet Zogu forces returned he migrated in the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...

. In 1926 he was pardoned by Ahmet Zogu and allowed to return in his native village. He died there on 14 January 1941. For his role he was decorated several times in 1962, 1992, 2005 and 2009.Ahmet Lepenica, commander in chief of Albanian forces in Vlora war of 1920. published May 07, 2010 Magazine "Albanian" (text in Albanian)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lepenica, Ahmet Albanian military personnel 1941 deaths 1872 births 19th-century Albanian people 20th-century Albanian people People from Janina vilayet Military personnel of the Ottoman Empire Albanians from the Ottoman Empire People from Vlorë