Mehmet Hasan pashë Derralla, military leader and First Minister of War in the Government of Ismail Qemali, was born in the village of Gradec in the vicinity of Tetova. He took his first lessons in his hometown, then continued his secondary schooling at the Manastir high school. He continued his studies at the Military School in Istanbul. After completing his studies, he held a number of positions in the Ottoman army. Meanwhile, he also made a career in the Ottoman gendarmerie. As a professional in this field, he was promoted by the Istanbul government and sent to various military missions in the provinces of the Empire. As a soldier, he also served in the vilayet of Kosovo and Manastir. Early on he came into contact with leaders of the Albanian National Movement. At a young age, he participated in the Assembly of the Albanian League of Prizren (1878) and then was a participant in the Assembly of the League of Peja in 1899. He was also an active participant and leader of the uprisings of 1908-1912. He participated in the Assembly of Independence in Vlora (1912). In the national government of Ismail Qemali, Mehmet Derralla was appointed Minister of War. Because of his continuous activity in support of the Albanian national movement, he was followed by the Istanbul government and, after 1916, also by Serbia and Montenegro. He was killed in Podgorica , in 1918. (In the photo: Mehmet Derralla)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 315.
Graphic processing: AHCF
