I have read about a "Pricipality of the Pindus "declared by Alcibiades Diamandi of Samarina during italian occupation : He was a Vlakh ,a balcan minority that spokes a neo latin language.
He made himself Prince and named a compatriot as head of the "Roman Legion" an unit of Vlakhs pro italians He abdicated in 1943 , the next ruler was Julius Cseznegi an hungarian. Someone knows more about this story?Photos?
Principality of Pindus
Hello. Something you might not know... Italy actually created the Principality of Pindos in 1917 first after they took control of Epirus. Italian nationalists considered Vlachs to be long lost Roman (Latin) brothers.
This act was repeated in 1942. Alkiviadis Diamantis, who was from Samarina but lived in Romania, appeared as the ‘prince of Pindos’. Accompanied by Italian soldiers, he declared at a time of famine that Romania was sending a shipment of a million okades of wheat for distribution only to Vlachs. Although the wheat never arrived, the Greek police confiscated flour that people bought for their homes, creating heavy resentment and accusations that Greece was trying to kill off the Vlachs. Violent conflicts erupted, some Vlachs were sent to remote islands and others were mistreated. General George Tsolakoglou, who served as a prime minister during the German occupation, gave a secret order to local authorities to treat Vlachs better. The Vlach community in Romania was also worried about the persecutions and new tribulations of the Vlachs and pressured the government again to intervene.
In 1942, Diamantis founded the Roman Legion of Larissa, which admitted even some communist party members. He tried to win the allegiance of educated Vlachs in Larissa. The ‘Legionnaires’ mainly turned against the Vlachs who resisted their goals and tortured them, imprisoned them, sent them to concentration camps in Italy, or robbed those who organized the national resistance against the Germans. After the end of the war, several ‘legionnaires’ were convicted as criminals and collaborators. Some escaped to Romania, where the communists arrested them. The borders of Romania closed, and many never appeared again in Greece. The Romanian schools and churches of Greece that aided the occupation forces were also closed in 1944-45.
The majority of the Vlachs who stood by Greece did not have much better fate. Countless were killed in 1940-41, fighting against the Germans and Italians, and many Vlach women help in the battles of Pindos. Subsequently many were leaders in the resistance. For this reason, most Vlach villages of Pindos were burned down by the Germans in 1943-44, and the inhabitants were executed
most of this comes from: http://www.farsarotul.org/nl26_1.htm
Alkiviadis I Diamantis (Alcibiades Diamandi) 1940-1943 came from Samarina: http://www.oswego.edu/~baloglou/travel/samarina.html
Julius Csesznegi 1943-1944 was a Hungarian... Could never find info on him other then he was an "adventurer".
This act was repeated in 1942. Alkiviadis Diamantis, who was from Samarina but lived in Romania, appeared as the ‘prince of Pindos’. Accompanied by Italian soldiers, he declared at a time of famine that Romania was sending a shipment of a million okades of wheat for distribution only to Vlachs. Although the wheat never arrived, the Greek police confiscated flour that people bought for their homes, creating heavy resentment and accusations that Greece was trying to kill off the Vlachs. Violent conflicts erupted, some Vlachs were sent to remote islands and others were mistreated. General George Tsolakoglou, who served as a prime minister during the German occupation, gave a secret order to local authorities to treat Vlachs better. The Vlach community in Romania was also worried about the persecutions and new tribulations of the Vlachs and pressured the government again to intervene.
In 1942, Diamantis founded the Roman Legion of Larissa, which admitted even some communist party members. He tried to win the allegiance of educated Vlachs in Larissa. The ‘Legionnaires’ mainly turned against the Vlachs who resisted their goals and tortured them, imprisoned them, sent them to concentration camps in Italy, or robbed those who organized the national resistance against the Germans. After the end of the war, several ‘legionnaires’ were convicted as criminals and collaborators. Some escaped to Romania, where the communists arrested them. The borders of Romania closed, and many never appeared again in Greece. The Romanian schools and churches of Greece that aided the occupation forces were also closed in 1944-45.
The majority of the Vlachs who stood by Greece did not have much better fate. Countless were killed in 1940-41, fighting against the Germans and Italians, and many Vlach women help in the battles of Pindos. Subsequently many were leaders in the resistance. For this reason, most Vlach villages of Pindos were burned down by the Germans in 1943-44, and the inhabitants were executed
most of this comes from: http://www.farsarotul.org/nl26_1.htm
Alkiviadis I Diamantis (Alcibiades Diamandi) 1940-1943 came from Samarina: http://www.oswego.edu/~baloglou/travel/samarina.html
Julius Csesznegi 1943-1944 was a Hungarian... Could never find info on him other then he was an "adventurer".
Thank you, Bubbles, for the useful information. 
Anyway, that article seems to exagerate a bit the role of Diamanti and his Aromanians. Italy never declared a Principality of Pindus, at least during WW2 (but I would be very surprised to discover it did so also in WW1, given that the Pindus wasn't under Italian occupation and Greece was neutral and then allied of the Entete).
In Sept. 1941 the commander of the Pinerolo Division, Gen. Cesare Benelli, proposed the creation of Aromanian militias in Grevenà, Kastoria, Kalabaka, Trikkala, Karditsa; moreover he proposed to support the Aromanians and give to them the gendarmery and some administrative places, along with a few Bulgarians from Macedonia. This plan wasn't approved by the commander of the III Army Corps, and meanwhile also Gen. Benelli had become less enthusiast of the Aromanian collaboration, given that they weren't compactly pro-Italian, many were mere oportuninsts, and had great political differences also between themselves.
Diamanti created the V Roman Legion, made of some hundreds of Aromanians (many were common brigands), with the future aim of getting the Italian support for the creation of an Aromanian state (the Principality of Pindus) including Epirus, Pindus, Tessalia, Macedonia and Southern Albania (well, megalomaniac would be a kind definition for this man...). The Italians tolerated the presence of these volunteers, who were enemies of any Greek partizan movemente, but only individual Aromanians were used by the Italian troops as scouts and guides. Anyway, the Aromanians never got any autonomous administration.
Anyway, that article seems to exagerate a bit the role of Diamanti and his Aromanians. Italy never declared a Principality of Pindus, at least during WW2 (but I would be very surprised to discover it did so also in WW1, given that the Pindus wasn't under Italian occupation and Greece was neutral and then allied of the Entete).In Sept. 1941 the commander of the Pinerolo Division, Gen. Cesare Benelli, proposed the creation of Aromanian militias in Grevenà, Kastoria, Kalabaka, Trikkala, Karditsa; moreover he proposed to support the Aromanians and give to them the gendarmery and some administrative places, along with a few Bulgarians from Macedonia. This plan wasn't approved by the commander of the III Army Corps, and meanwhile also Gen. Benelli had become less enthusiast of the Aromanian collaboration, given that they weren't compactly pro-Italian, many were mere oportuninsts, and had great political differences also between themselves.
Diamanti created the V Roman Legion, made of some hundreds of Aromanians (many were common brigands), with the future aim of getting the Italian support for the creation of an Aromanian state (the Principality of Pindus) including Epirus, Pindus, Tessalia, Macedonia and Southern Albania (well, megalomaniac would be a kind definition for this man...). The Italians tolerated the presence of these volunteers, who were enemies of any Greek partizan movemente, but only individual Aromanians were used by the Italian troops as scouts and guides. Anyway, the Aromanians never got any autonomous administration.
Hello. I am sure that article is exaggerated, especially because it’s made by an Aromanian society. But when Venizelos came back into power in Greece in 1917 he laid claim to Northern Epirus. That caused a major problem with the Allies because Baron Sonnino who was the head of the Consulta had claimed very early in the Italian war effort that Albania was to be made independent under Italian protection. Eventually the Italians had some embarrassment when newspapers were released with headlines like "Albania liberated by Italians" or something similar before it actually happened. I have read at this time the Italians tried to incur as much support for Italy in the Epirus region against Greek interests as possible. Part of this was the Vlachs who have the largest population in Albania (in the Northern Epirus region). Probably what happened is the Vlachs declared independence and said the Italians backed them. Because I have seen numerous Vlach sources claiming their first principality was created by "Italy" in 1917. But I am not sure of how much backing Italy gave them... if any.
Bubbles, thank you for the further info. I admit I'm far from being an expert of WW1, expecially of such an obscure topic, thus I've little to add. Certainly Italy was seeking support by local peoples, but the Pindus was already within Greece and not in Albania (indipendent since 1912, but occupied by its neighbours in 1914) and thus any declaration of indipendence of an Aromanian state would have caused only a lot of diplomatic problems in an area outside the one claimed by Italy for Albania, while, on the other hand, Albanian Northern Epirus claimed by Greece was already under Italian occupation. Given how much the WW2 affair of the Pindus pricipality has been inflated, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that also the WW1 version has a bit too much "colour", but this is only my personal opinion, and I see you are skeptical too.
I admit I'm far from being an expert of WW1, expecially of such an obscure topic, thus I've little to add. Certainly Italy was seeking support by local peoples, but the Pindus was already within Greece and not in Albania (indipendent since 1912, but occupied by its neighbours in 1914) and thus any declaration of indipendence of an Aromanian state would have caused only a lot of diplomatic problems in an area outside the one claimed by Italy for Albania, while, on the other hand, Albanian Northern Epirus claimed by Greece was already under Italian occupation. Given how much the WW2 affair of the Pindus pricipality has been inflated, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that also the WW1 version has a bit too much "colour", but this is only my personal opinion, and I see you are skeptical too. Principality of Pindus
Hello,
I found some info on Julius Csesznegi: his correct Hungarian name was Baron Julius Milványi-Csesznegi (Báró Milványi Csesznegi Gyula). He was really an adventurer and also a not too known poet and writer.
Julius was proclaimed prince regent of Pindus and abdicated in 1944. He never had any power or even set foot on the territory of the state.
Julius' mother, Maria Handzár was from Vlach origin.
I found some info on Julius Csesznegi: his correct Hungarian name was Baron Julius Milványi-Csesznegi (Báró Milványi Csesznegi Gyula). He was really an adventurer and also a not too known poet and writer.
Julius was proclaimed prince regent of Pindus and abdicated in 1944. He never had any power or even set foot on the territory of the state.
Julius' mother, Maria Handzár was from Vlach origin.
Last edited by Hunvezer on 07 Feb 2006, 17:20, edited 3 times in total.
I have found that it's written in 2004 a book about the Aromenian collaboration with Italians ; the autor is Stavros Papagiannis , the title is " Tes paides tes likanines" ( the children of the SheWolf- the heirs of the 5 roman legion ) and is written in greek .
have someone read this book .
none of our greeks fellows?
have someone read this book .
none of our greeks fellows?
Hello all,
I have never heard of a set up of such a principality as the one being discussed. So I thank you all for bringing this to my attention.
@zaptiè
Would you have either a link, or an ISBN which relates to that book you are referring to? I might be interested in purchasing it.
@ all
Just for your information. Provided is a link to another thread that I have started elsewhere on AHF. Perhaps the two threads are linked?
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=88040
I have never heard of a set up of such a principality as the one being discussed. So I thank you all for bringing this to my attention.
@zaptiè
Would you have either a link, or an ISBN which relates to that book you are referring to? I might be interested in purchasing it.
@ all
Just for your information. Provided is a link to another thread that I have started elsewhere on AHF. Perhaps the two threads are linked?
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=88040