page_title: League of Lezhë
section_title: Formation
hierarchical_section_title: League of Lezhë / Formation
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Versammlung in Lezha am 2. März 1444
context_page_description: The League of Lezhë was a military alliance of Albanian feudal lords forged in Lezhë on 2 March 1444, with Skanderbeg as leader of the regional Albanian and Serbian chieftains united against the Ottoman Empire. Skanderbeg was proclaimed "Chief of the League of the Albanian people".
  The main members of the league were the Arianiti, Balšić, Zaharia, Muzaka, Spani, Thopia and Crnojevići. The members contributed to the League with men and money, while
  Skanderbeg had no right to interfere with the affairs of their domains. All earlier and many modern historians accepted Marin Barleti's news about this meeting in Lezhë, although no contemporary Venetian document mentions it. Barleti referred to the meeting as the generalis concilium or universum concilium; the term "League of Lezhë" was coined by subsequent historians.
context_section_description: The League of Lezhë was founded on 2 March 1444 by:
  Lekë Zaharia (lord of Sati and Dagnum), and his vassals Pal and Nicholas Dukagjini
  Peter Spani (lord of the mountains behind Drivasto)
  Lekë Dushmani (lord of Minor Pult)
  George Strez, John and Gojko Balšić (lords of Misia, between Kruja and Alessio)
  Andrea Thopia (lord of Scuria, between Tirana and Durazzo) with his nephew Tanush
  Gjergj Arianiti
  Theodor Corona Musachi
  Stefan Crnojević (lord of Upper Zeta)
  Delegates from Venice were present at the meeting.
  The military alliance was made up of the feudal lords in Albania, who had to contribute to the League with men and money. Skanderbeg was proclaimed "Chief of the League of the Albanian people". Thus, he was the League's leader and commander-in-chief of its combined armed forces numbering 8,000 warriors. All the territorial lords had their own domains and affairs; "Skanderbeg had no right to interfere with the affairs of the domains of other nobles", acting only as the supreme military leader, as primus inter pares. Barleti referred to the meeting as the generalis concilium or universum concilium ("general council" or "whole council"); the term "League of Lezhë" was coined by subsequent historians.
  Initiated and organised under Venetian patronage, through treaties, the league was put under King Alfonso V, with Skanderbeg as captain general.
caption: Leauge of Lezhe painting in the Skanderbeg-Museum in Kruje
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