[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 522 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 522

    Honoring the 600th anniversary of the birth of Gjergj Castrioti 
(Scanderbeg), statesman, diplomat, and military genius, for his role in 
             saving Western Europe from Ottoman occupation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 27, 2005

 Mr. Rohrabacher (for himself and Mr. Lantos) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Honoring the 600th anniversary of the birth of Gjergj Castrioti 
(Scanderbeg), statesman, diplomat, and military genius, for his role in 
             saving Western Europe from Ottoman occupation.

Whereas 600 years ago, in 1405 AD, in the White Castle of Kruja (formerly 
        Croya), Albania, Gjergj Castrioti was born;
Whereas at the age of 17 his father reluctantly left him with the Ottoman 
        Turkish Sultan as a condition of peace;
Whereas Castrioti excelled in studying history and classical languages and at an 
        early age reached the rank of General in the Ottoman Turkish Army;
Whereas Castrioti's military genius and unique leadership qualities were praised 
        by Sultan Murad, who called him Iskander Bey (now Scanderbeg), after 
        Alexander the Great;
Whereas while being away from his native Albanian lands, Castrioti never forgot 
        his Albanian heritage and people;
Whereas on October 28, 1443, after much soul-searching and in utmost secrecy, 
        Castrioti finally decided to return home and liberate the Albanian 
        people from Ottoman domination;
Whereas the Battle of Nish on November 10, 1443, between Ottoman troops and the 
        Hungarian Army (led by another freedom-fighter, Janos Hunyadi), gave 
        Scanderbeg the perfect opportunity to accomplish his plan of return;
Whereas on November 28, 1443, Scanderbeg returned to his native town of Kruja 
        and raised again his flag with the double-headed eagle over the White 
        Castle there, to the enthusiastic celebration of his people, an 
        historical moment vividly described by the American poet Henry Wadsworth 
        Longfellow in his lengthy epic poem, ``Scanderbeg'';
Whereas Scanderbeg thereafter successfully defended the Albanian people against 
        countless attacks by the Ottoman Empire, the largest army of the period, 
        including in 1450 the onslaught of more than 150,000 Ottoman troops led 
        by Sultan Murad, who was ultimately defeated by vastly outnumbered 
        Albanian foot soldiers and cavalry led by Scanderbeg at the Castle of 
        Kruja in a bloody Homeric struggle;
Whereas Murad's son, Sultan Mehmed, conquered Constantinople in 1453, thus 
        ending the Byzantine period, but was unable in 1466 and 1467 to conquer 
        Albania, even though he commanded the largest army of the time, 
        including up to 300,000 foot soldiers and horsemen;
Whereas during 1460 and 1461 Gjergj Castrioti Scanderbeg brought his army to 
        southern Italy for the second time to defend his ally, King Alphonse of 
        Naples, against the invasion of the Lombards of southern France;
Whereas Gjergj Castrioti united the Albanian people and established a free state 
        of Albania, which endured for 25 years;
Whereas according to Major General James Wolfe, commander of the British army at 
        Quebec, ``Scanderbeg . . . excels all officers, ancient and modern, in 
        the conduct of a small defensive army . . ..''; and, according to noted 
        British historian Edward Gibbon, ``the enthusiasm of chivalry and 
        religion has ranked the Albanian prince with the names of Alexander the 
        Great and Pyrrhus'';
Whereas Scanderbeg died at the town of Lyssus (now Lezha), Albania, on January 
        17, 1468, and Albanians resisted Ottoman occupation for another 20 
        years, after which the Ottomans overran Albania, forcing tens of 
        thousands of Albanians to flee across the Adriatic Sea to the Kingdom of 
        Naples for asylum, where their progeny still live today;
Whereas the nation of Albania under Scanderbeg prevented the invasion of Rome 
        and all of Italy by the Ottoman Empire, thus effectively paving the way 
        for the Italian Renaissance;
Whereas statues of Scanderbeg mounted on his stallion with sword in hand today 
        grace the capitals of Italy, Austria, Hungary, Albania, and Kosova;
Whereas Albania, including Kosova, became free again on November 28, 1912, after 
        425 years of Turkish Ottoman occupation, and today modern Albania and 
        Turkey are both staunch allies of the United States of America; and
Whereas the Republic of Albania today is resolute in joining NATO and the 
        European Union as promptly as possible: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commemorates the achievements of Gjergj Castrioti 
        Scanderbeg and the 600th anniversary of his birth;
            (2) commends Albanians everywhere for paying tribute to and 
        honoring their valiant leader, hero, and son, Gjergj Castrioti; 
        and
            (3) urges the United States Government to work with its 
        European partners to accelerate the integration of Albania and 
        a free Kosova into the European Union, in recognition of the 
        great contribution and sacrifice made by Gjergj Castrioti and 
        the Albanian people in saving Western Europe from Ottoman 
        domination.
                                 <all>