The first historical trace in Albania goes back to the prehistoric era some 300,000 years ago. Starting in the 7th Century BC, Greek colonies began rising along the Illyrian coast, and for the next several centuries, the Illyrian tribes dominated the region. In the 1st Century BC, the Roman army defeated the Illyrians, ending their independence. The Romans ruled here until 395 AD, when the empire was divided into two parts, and the area of present-day Albania was put under Byzantine command. Under the Byzantines, Albania endured raids by different barbarian tribes, such as Visigoths, Huns, Ostrogoths, Avars, and Slavs, that destroyed and weakened the empire. In the mid-800s, the Bulgarian Empire took over, and the area of eastern Albania became a valuable cultural center. The Bulgarian Empire declined in the late 13th Century, and Albania was integrated into the Serbian state. The Ottomans took control in 1385 with the Battle of Savra, and aside from a brief interruption during the Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg uprising (1443-1478), they ruled for 500 years. In this period, many Albanians reached notable rankings within the Ottoman Government, remaining highly active and faithful during the Ottoman era. By the end of the 1800s, the nationalism movement had started, and the Albanians began to fight for their independence. By the end of the 19th Century, many revolts were organized, and the Albanian National Awakening took place, but it wasn't until the Balkan War of 1912 that Albania was proclaimed independent. As Albania began establishing its new boundary lines and putting together a government, World War, I interrupted their efforts, and political turmoil overwhelmed the country. Prince William of Wied, ruling the Princedom of Albania, left the country during that war to serve in the German Army and never returned to claim his position. Albania was consequently divided among Italy, Serbia, and Greece, and as World War I ended, the country was still without a recognized government. Albania struggled to regain independence. In 1920 Italian troops left the country, and the United States intervened to support Albania's independence, ultimately leading to the League of Nations accepting Albania as a full member. In 1924, Ahmet Zogu was elected President with dictatorial powers, allied with Italy, and established good relations with Benito Mussolini. The parliament, in 1928, proclaimed Albania a Kingdom with Zog as appointed King; in 1939, Mussolini's army invaded Albania, eradicating King Zog. This put Albania as one of the first nations occupied by the Axis Powers during World War II, and what ensued was a tug-of-war between Italy, Germany, and Greece. By the war's end in Albania, some 30,000 residents died, 200 villages were destroyed, and around 100,000 were left homeless. In this state, Communists quickly took power in Albania and isolated the country from the rest of the non-communist world. This lasted until the early 1990s when most Communist doctrine collapsed across Europe. Albania took this moment to completely abandon its long-time Communist rule in favor of democracy and a move into the 21st Century. Blessed with many natural resources, Albania has (mostly) remained somewhat isolated from the world because of its mountainous topography and the policies of its former hard-line Government. However, in 2009 the country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is currently applying for EU membership.