Following the Balkan Wars of 1912–13, the European powers created Albania as a neutral country under international administration. To force Serbia and Montenegro to respect the new country, a naval demonstration and blockade were ordered off the Montenegrin coast, and an international peace force was sent to the Shkodra region in the north. An international control commission was established, and a German nobleman, William of Wied, became prince of Albania. Although both William's rule and the international operation ended with the outbreak of the First World War, this incident is of interest today, partly because of parallels with contemporary efforts to pacify the Balkans.