Albanian noblemen had established their own dominions…

Albanian noblemen had established their own dominions after the death of Serbian tsar Stephen Dušan in 1355.

When Ottoman forces entered Albanian-populated territory, they were faced with small principalities that were engaged in vicious fights among themselves.

The first battle against the Ottoman forces in Albania had been that of Balsha II, the Lord of Zeta, whose forces were defeated in the battle of Savra (18 September 1385) and Balsha II himself was killed.

The Ottoman Empire has in the fifteenth century established itself in the Balkans with no significant resistance offered by local Christian nobles.

Many of them are still fighting among themselves and don't see the advance of the Ottoman Empire as a threat to their power.

Although a civil war had broken out between the sons of Bayezid I during 1402–1413, none of the Christian noblemen in the Balkans at the time had seized the opportunity to repel the Ottomans; in the contrary, Serbs and Hungarians had even helped the future Sultan Mehmed I seize power, by participating as his allies in the final battle against his brother.

After the Ottoman civil war ended in Mehmed’s favor, his forces had captured Kruja from the Thopia family in 1415, Berat in 1417 from Muzaka, Vlora and Kanina in 1417 from the widow of Balsha, and Gjirokastër in 1418 from the Zenebishti family.

During the same time, the Republic of Venice had captured the Albanian populated coastal cities on the Adriatic.

The Albanian principalities, under pressure from the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, had begun to vacillate.

Together with occupation, new rulers had been appointed and the registration process of the population and properties is now done by Ottoman tax officers.

Local populations and old nobility are not happy with this arrangement and various local rebellions have taken place, the most famous being those of Gjon Kastrioti in 1429–1430 and Gjergj Araniti in 1432–1435.

George Kastrioti, the son of Gjon, had been taken at a young age as a hostage to the court of Ottoman sultan Murad II.

Becoming a court favorite, he had received the name Iskander (“Alexander”) bey (“lord”)—corrupted to Skanderbeg, or Scanderbeg—converted to Islam, and had been placed in charge of an army.

Escaping to his homeland and basing himself at Lezhë (Alessio), Skanderbeg had in November 1443 captured Kruja, which was the capital of principality of the Kastrioti, and declared its independence from the Sultan.

However, a more organized resistance than that of a single principality is needed.

Skanderbeg's example has provided impetus to the liberation movements in Central and Northern Albania.

Nearly all the chieftains reject Ottoman rule, and the large Albanian clans reestablish their chiefdoms.

Skanderbeg makes efforts to unite all moral and material resources of the individual families in a successful struggle against the Ottomans.

To this effect, on March 2, 1444, he calls in the cathedral of Lezhë an assembly of the Albanian chieftains, together with the prince of Montenegro and delegates from Venice.

Nearly all of the chieftains gather: the Arianits, Dukagjin, Thopias, Muzakas, as well as the leaders of the free Albanian tribes from the high mountains.

In spite of the discord among the chieftains, they establish a union, which will become known to history as the Albanian League of Lezhë.

The League proclaims Skanderbeg commander of the Albanian resistance, numbering some eight thousand fighters.

All of Albania, including most of Epirus, accepts his leadership against the Ottoman Turks, but local leaders keep control of their own districts.