Albanian Ahmed Bey Zogu
born Oct. 8, 1895, Castle Burgajet, Alb.
died April 9, 1961, Suresnes, France
President (1925–28) and king of Albania (1928–39).
After serving in the Austrian army in World War I, he became a leader of Albania's reformist Popular Party. He held ministerial posts in the government (1920–24) and was elected head of the Albanian republic in 1925. Proclaimed king in 1928, he pursued a policy of close collaboration with Italy. Unable to resist Benito Mussolini 's increasing control of the country's finances and army, he was forced into exile when Italy invaded and made Albania a protectorate (1939). After World War II Albania became a communist republic, and Zog formally abdicated in 1946.