After the Ottoman civil war was over in favour of Mehmed I, his forces captured Kruja from the Thopia in 1415, Berat in 1417 from the Muzaka, Vlora and Kanina in 1417 from the widow of Balša III and Gjirokastër in 1418 from the Zenevisi. Under pressure from the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, the Albanian Principalities began to vacillate. Some Albanian nobility revolted in 1432–36. In November 1443, Skanderbeg captured Kruja with his troops and declared its independence from the Sultan. Formation 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 Pjetër Spani (lord of the mountains behind Drivasto) Lekë Dushmani (lord of Minor Pult) Gjergj Strez, John and Gojko Balsha (lords of Misia, between Kruja and Lezhë) Andrea Thopia (lord of Scuria, between Tirana and Durrës) with his nephew Tanush Gjergj Arianiti Theodor Corona Muzaka 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. History The League's forces had victories against the Ottomans at Torvioll (1444), Mokra (1445), Otonetë (1446), Oranik (1448), a loss at Svetigrad (1448) victory in Polog (1453), victory at Krujë (1450), Albulena (1457), Ohrid (1464), Mokra (1462) and many others. Skanderbeg first big victory against the Ottomans was at the Battle of Torvioll, the news of the victory of the Christians over the Muslims spread very quickly in Europe. In the two years that followed, the Albanian-Tetan coalition won over the Ottomans. On May 14, 1450, the first siege of Kruja began, which the Ottomans had to