At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Kingdom of Greece remained a neutral nation. Despite this, in October 1914, Greek forces moved in and occupied the areas of southern Albania that it claimed (Northern Epirus) at a time when the new Principality of Albania was in turmoil. At the same time, the Kingdom of Italy occupied Saseno and later that December the port of Valona. By the end of 1915, Greek troops abandoned their holdings in Albania without a fight to the expanding Italian forces.