Military ranks of Albania

Albanian military insignia have undergone several periods during which their design changed radically.

The first ranks in the Albanian Armed Forces were formed in 1926 during the reign of King Zog I. His rule comprises two periods, the "Austrian" (1929-1936) and the "Prussian (generals) + Italian (other ranks)" style (1936-1939) of insignia.

During the time of Italian and German occupations of Albania their respective ranks were worn on Albanian militia uniforms.

After the Second World War, when the communist regime took power, military ranks were radically changed in looks and in naming. In the first years officers and generals wore sleeve insignia whose order was loosely based on that time's Yugoslav patterns. In 1947 a new model was introduced (both in Albania and Yugoslavia), where insignia and ranks came from the Soviet Union. This followed the traditions of Stalin's last years where insignia of all the Communist Bloc countries tended to uniformity. While most socialist countries abandoned this model soon after Stalin's death, Albania preserved it until May 1966, when military ranks were abolished altogether following Chinese example and based on doctrines of guerilla warfare.

With the fall of the communist regime the military ranks were re-established in 1991 following a Western model. However, there were several crucial changes in their design (1991, 2004 and 2011) and a few minor ones.

1991-1999

Officer

Rank group	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Albanian Land Force and Air Force
			Gjeneral		Gjeneral kolonel		Gjeneral lejtnant		Gjeneral major		Kolonel		Nënkolonel		Major		Kapiten i parë	Kapiten	Toger			Nëntoger
Albanian Naval Force
					Admiral		Nënadmiral		Kundëradmiral		Kapiten i Rangut I		Kapiten i Rangut II		Kapiten i Rangut III		Kapiten Lejtnant I	Kapiten Lejtnant II	Lejtnant			Nënlejtnant

Other

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Albanian Land Force and Air Force																																			No insignia
							Kapter i parë		Kapter						Rreshter i parë		Rreshter						Tetar
Albanian Naval Force																																			No insignia
							Miçman i parë		Miçman						Rreshter i parë		Rreshter						Tetar

1999-2004

Commissioned officers

Rank group	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Albanian Land Force
			Gjeneral		Gjeneral Kolonel		Gjeneral Lejtnant		Gjeneral Major		Kolonel		Nënkolonel		Major		Kapiten i parë	Kapiten	Toger			Nëntoger

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Albanian Land Force																																			No insignia
							Kapter i parë		Kapter						Rreshter i parë		Rreshter						Tetar

2004-2011

Rank group	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Albanian Army
			Gjeneral		Gjeneral Lejtant		Gjeneral Major		Gjeneral Brigade		Kolonel		Nënkolonel		Major		Kapiten		Toger			Nëntoger