Albanian National Royal Guard (Italian Empire)
| Corps of the Royal Albanian National Guard | |
|---|---|
| Korpusi i Gardës Mbretërore Kombëtare Shqiptare | |
 The M.V.S.N. emblem | |
| Active | 1956 - present |
| Country |
 Kingdom of Albania |
| Allegiance |
 Italian Empire |
| Branch | National Royal Guard |
| Role | Defence force |
| Size | 8,500 |
| Part of | National Royal Guard |
| Headquarters | Tirana |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brig. Gen. Adjin Bozo |
The Corps of the Royal Albanian National Guard (Albanian: Korpusi i Gardës Mbretërore Kombëtare Shqiptare, K.G.M.K.S.) is the Albanian branch of the National Royal Guard.
Contents
Mission
The mission of the Albanian National Royal Guard is the preservation and protection of high state personalities and residences, according to the determinations made in the law, as well as the support to internal security forces and to the defence of Albania. The K.G.M.K.S. is also engaged in civil emergency operations to help the community in cases of natural disasters, such as floods, blocked roads and aid distribution in cases of heavy snowfalls, fire suppression operations, etc.
The National Royal Guard preserves and protects high Albanian, Italian and foreign state personalities of the same level, preserves the Residence of the Lieutenant General of the Kingdom of Albania, the Corporatist Assembly and the Council of Ministers of Albania, as well as other residences and buildings determined by the decision of the Lieutenant General; the Albanian National Royal Guard also preserves the premises where the activities of the protected personalities take place and the activities where the personalities part. Finally, the National Royal Guard performs ceremonial with honour guards both in Tirana and in Rome.
History
The Albanian National Royal Guard traces its own origigns from both the Albanian Royal Guard and the Albanian National Republican Guard.
The Albanian Royal Guard (Italian: Guardia Reale Albanese) was an unit of the Italian Royal Army, established after the Italian annexation of the Kingdom of Albania in 1939. It had ceremonial duties and protection of the King and the high offices of the Albanian state, serving as honour guard at the Quirinale Palace and at the Altar of the Homeland in Rome, and in the government buildings in Tirana. The battalion was structured on two companies, reflecting the linguistic structure of the country in Gheghi (north of the Shkumbini River) and Toschi (south of the river).
In 1946 the Albanian Social Republic was proclaimed and therefore the Albanian Royal Guard was disestablished. The Albanian National Republican Guard was established in early 1956, shortly after the Libyan branch, therefore being the second-oldest non-Italian G.N.R. branch. However, because the Albanian Social Republic was created immediately after the proclamation of the Italian Social Republic, the G.K.R. was the first proper Republican Guard outside Italy. Differently from the Libyan G.N.R., furthermore, the best Albanian legionnaires of the M.F.A. (Milizia Fascista Albanese, i.e. Albanian Fascist Militia) were immediately allowed to join the new security services and indigenous officers have reached command positions since 1967.
In 2002 the Kingdom of Italy and subsidiary Monarchies under the Crown of Duce of Italy Italo Debalti were established; the Albanian National Republican Guard reflected the consitutional changes, being renamed Corps of the Royal Albanian National Guard, or Albanian National Royal Guard for short. The corps claims the legacy of both Albanian Royal Guard and Albanian Republican Guard. The current commander is Brigadier General Adjin Bozo, holding the position since 2014.
Organization
The Albanian National Royal Guard is an organisation with a special status directly under the Chief of the Republic. The Royal Guard is organized in the Central Command, a General Staff, functional departments and the operational Brigade. The K.G.M.K.S. is organized as a brigade on six Battalions (named after major cities), and it was involved into the 1999 Albania-Kosovo border clashes and skirmishes; however, the Albanian corps is mainly designed for protection and defence of government installations. The K.G.M.K.S. is fully integrated within the Italian National Royal Army Balkan Command. As of 2015, the K.G.M.K.S. had the following structure:
- Central Command and Brigade Command "Albania";
- Command and Support Battalion "Albania";
- 1st Infantry Battalion "Tirana";
- 2nd Infantry Battalion "Valona";
- 3rd Infantry Battalion "Durazzo";
- 4th Saboteur Infantry Battalion "Berat";
- 5th Cavalry Squadron Group "Chimara";
- 6th Artillery Group "Elbasan".
Albanian G.K.R. Regiments, which provide operational battalions to the Brigade, are named after famous Albanians:
- Infantry Regiment "Skanderberg" (4 Battalions + Regimental Depot);
- Cavalry Regiment "Ali Kelmendi" (1 Squadron Group + Regimental Depot);
- Artillery Regiment "Isa Boletini" (1 Group + Regimental Depot).
Operations
The Albanian National Royal Guard is framed within a complex web of relationships and dependencies. While depending on the Lieutenant General of the Kingdom of Albania and being under the military command of the Italian National Royal Army (Higher Command Balkans), the Albanian National Royal Guard also maintains close relations with the Albanian Ministry of Interior; the Commandant-General of the Albanian National Royal Guard answers before the Minister for the accomplishment of security and protection missions. Moreover, the K.G.M.K.S. cooperates with the Albanian Gendarmerie during the process of personality preservation, as well as with the local government authorities outside Tirana. For collection of data and information duties, the K.G.M.K.S. also cooperates with the O.V.S.A.
Political control
Being the Albanian National Royal Guard a Party wing, the Albanian Fascist Party has an active and dominant organization within the Albanian National Royal Guard. While troops may in certain cases be not enrolled in the Albanian Fascist Party, all subofficers and officers in the National Royal Guard are party members. The Political Directorate of the Albanian National Royal Guard controls political officials within all units of the Albanian National Royal Guard. The Fascist leadership considers the directorate essential to ensure that the Albanian National Royal Guard conforms with the party line and not only with the Fascist ideology.
The reliability of senior military leaders is assured by their membership in the party. All students over eighteen years of age in military schools are also party members. Younger students are members of the Albanian Youth of the Lictor and are organized into the party's youth branch in the Albanian National Royal Guard. Political officials indoctrinate recruits with Fascist ideology and the party line. Reinforcing the actions of officers and military courts, they help ensure discipline in military units. They have authority to take action against soldiers whose attitudes or conduct was considered contrary to the efficiency or good order of the Albanian National Royal Guard. Military professionalism competes with political reliability in determining promotions.
Uniforms and insignia
Albanian G.N.R. Legionnaires wear their own uniform: dark grey jacket and trousers and a matching cap. The blackshirt and the Fascist Eagle are common among all M.V.S.N. branches. Aside of uniform colours, both the cloths' cuts and rank insignia are the same across the Italian Empire.
- GNR - Albania - Generali - Uniforme di servizio.png
Albanian G.N.R. Ordinary On Duty Uniform (General officers).
Albanian G.N.R. Ordinary On Duty Uniform (all other ranks).
