The ancient fortress-town of Shköder dominated northern Albania, making it an important objective for the first day of the Italian invasion. The fortifications had not been modernized since the Turks were ejected before the Great War, but the town remained a formidable natural position and held a special place in the Albanian national mythos. This would be one of the few places where the Albanians most definitely fought the invaders.

The Albanians fought through the first day of invasion until the next morning, by which point many of their troops had deserted. Two officers held out in the ancient fortress (the two Entrenchments) until they had run out of ammunition, but by mid-morning Shköder and its fortress were firmly in Italian hands.