Skanderbeg (Gjergj Kastrioti)
1405–1468 · Albanian (Kruja) · Late Medieval Balkans, Ottoman Wars
Known for: Albanian national hero who defied the Ottoman Empire for 25 years with a tiny mountainous country
Skanderbeg was taken as a child hostage by the Ottomans, raised Muslim, and became an Ottoman officer—then defected, converted back to Christianity, and united Albanian tribes to resist Ottoman conquest for 25 years. He defeated Ottoman armies many times larger than his own through guerrilla warfare and intimate knowledge of Albanian terrain.
After his death, the Ottomans conquered Albania, and Albanian resistance effectively ended. He remains Albania's greatest national hero.
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