Although the representatives of the Italian-Albanian diaspora initiated a reflection on their national identity at a very early stage, it was not until the late 19th century that their attention turned to the Albanian territories still under Ottoman rule. A rift soon emerged between those who deemed it appropriate for the time being to seek autonomy within the Ottoman Empire (such as Girolamo De Rada and Anselmo Lorecchio) and those who instead advocated an armed struggle for complete independence (Giovanni Schirò and Terenzio Tocci). These differences were overcome on the eve of the Great War, when the Arbëreshe united in support for the newly proclaimed Albanian state. In the same circumstances, however, an even more complicated problem arose, namely that of how to shape relations between Italy and Albania.
