Xhemal Aranitasi (also known as Xhemal Araniti; 25 January 1886 – 13 March 1961) was an Albanian

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and commander in chief of the

Royal Albanian Army The Royal Albanian Army () was the army of the Albanian Kingdom and King Zog I of the Albanians from 1928 until 1939. Its commander-in-chief was King Zog; its commander was General Xhemal Aranitasi; its chief of staff was General Gustav von M ...

. He was the son of Ibrahim Aranitasi, an army colonel of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and Esma Jahobegaj. He graduated from the

Monastir Military High School The Monastir Military High School (''Manastır Askerî İdadisi''), established in 1847, was one of the three-year educational military high schools of the Ottoman Empire. It was located in Monastir (present day Bitola, North Macedonia). The build ...

(now in present-day

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

), and then at the military academy in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. During the Balkan wars, he fought in the Ottoman army as the leader of a machine gun unit. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, when most of the territory of Albania was invaded by the Austro-Hungarian Army, he served in the Aranitas municipality as a commander of the gendarmerie. In 1920, he joined the Royal Albanian Army, and four years later, he was a battalion commander. In 1925, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he became the general commander of the Royal Albanian Army. Although significant decisions on the Army were taken by officers of foreign origins, such as Gustav von Myrdacz and Leon Ghilardi, Aranitasi was the only native Albanian nominally on the staff. In 1929 he was promoted to general. He served as aide-de-camp of

Zog I of Albania Zog I (born Ahmed Muhtar Zogolli; 8 October 18959 April 1961) was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's youngest ever Prime Minister (1922–1924), then as president (1925–1928), and finally as King ...

before this task was taken by

Mehmed Konica Mehmed Konica (1881 – 1948), was an Albanian politician. He served three times as the Foreign Minister of Albania. He was the brother of Albanian writer Faik Konica. Konica was born in Konitsa, today's Greece, back then part of the Janina Vil ...

. In 1939, as minister of war, in the face of war with

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, Xhemal Aranitasi forbade the press publication of popular mobilization and prohibited issuing weapons to the civilian population. On April 6, 1939, on the eve of the invasion of Albania by the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army () (RE) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...

, Aranitasi left the country and settled in Turkey, where he lived until the end of his life. He was awarded the Grand Ribbon of the

Order of Skanderbeg Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

.Stephen Taylor, ed.: Who's Who in Central and East Europe 1933/1934 . Zurich: 1935.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aranitasi, Xhemal 1886 births 1961 deaths 19th-century Albanian people 20th-century Albanian military personnel Albanian generals Monastir Military High School alumni Ottoman Military Academy alumni Ottoman military personnel of the Balkan Wars People from Janina vilayet People from Mallakastër Recipients of the Order of Skanderbeg (1925–45) Royal Albanian Army

See also

Sources