At the height of the crusades of the European countries, against Ottoman invaders, died on August 14, 1464, Pope Pius II, the inspiration and organizer of it. He announced the beginning of the crusade in November 1463, and the armed militaries were gathering on the skeletons of Italy to go against the Turks. That year between Skanderbeg and Venice was completed the Treaty of Friendship and the alliance in the war against the Turkish invaders. Even Venice with Hungary concluded a military connection. In Albania Skanderbeg agreed with the Dukagjini and became close allies. All of these, as well as pushing the pressure exerted by the Pope and Venice, forced Gjergj Kastrioti to break the peace agreement with Mehmed II in April 1463 and to solidify with the Crusade by carrying out a series of combat actions on Turkish possessions. But Scanderbeg’s hope to connect the Albanian resistance with the struggle of the European peoples collapsed with the death of the Pope, which led to the crusade’s failure. With its failure, the Albanians remained alone in the face of Turkish furia, the only barricade, in defense of European civilization.
