Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Kafin shiga tsakani kai tsaye a Yaƙin Duniya na I, Italiya ta mamaye tashar jiragen ruwa ta Albania ta Vlorë a watan Disamba na 1914. A ƙarshen shekara ta 1916, Italiya ta fara mamaye kudancin Albania. A cikin 1916, sojojin Italiya sun ɗauki Albanian marasa tsari don yin aiki tare da su. Italiya, tare da izinin umarnin Allied, ya mamaye Arewacin Epirus a ranar 23 ga Agusta, 1916, wanda ya tilasta wa sojojin Girka masu tsaka tsaki su janye sojojinsa daga wurin. A watan Yunin 1917, Italiya ta ayyana tsakiyar da kudancin Albania a matsayin mai kare Italiya yayin da aka ware Arewacin Albania ga jihohin Serbia da Montenegro. A ranar 31 ga Oktoba 1918, sojojin Faransa da Italiya sun kori sojojin Austro-Hungary daga Albania. Duk da haka, a shekara ta 1920, 'yan tawayen Albaniya
ya sa Italiya ta yarda ta mayar da yankunan da aka mamaye zuwa Albania, ban da tsibirin Sazan.