Prior to the outbreak of the First Balkan War, the Albanians were the only Balkan nation without a national state. At the end of 1912, after the Ottomans recognised the autonomy of Albania, the Balkan League (comprising three neighboring states: Serbia, Montenegro and Greece; along with Bulgaria) jointly attacked the Ottoman Empire and during the next few months partitioned all Ottoman territory inhabited by Albanians.The Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Greece occupied most of the land of what is today Albania and other lands inhabited by Albanians in the Adriatic coast. Montenegro occupied a part of todays's northern Albania around Shkodër.
During the military occupation in 1912 and 1913, the Serbian and Montenegrin armed forces committed numerous crimes against the Albanian population, which were reported by the European, American and Serbian opposition press.In order to investigate the crimes, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace formed a special commission, which was sent to the Balkans in 1913. Summing the situation in Albanian areas, members of the Commission concluded:
Houses and whole villages reduced to ashes, unarmed and innocent populations massacred en masse, incredible acts of violence, pillage and brutality of every kind — such were the means which were employed and are still being employed by the Serbo-Montenegrin soldiery, with a view to the entire transformation of the ethnic character of regions inhabited exclusively by Albanians.
– Report of the International Commission
Crimes against Albanians during the Balkan wars, committed by the allied armies of the Balkan countries (primarily the Serbian and Montenegrin army), included mass executions, savaged civilians, ethnic cleansing, forced became Christians and persecution.As a result of the provisions of the Treaty of London in 1913 which legally inaugurated separate gains to Serbia, Montenegro and Greece (namely, the large part of the Vilayet of Kosovo being awarded to Serbia), an Albanian entity was to be recognised. As such, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro agreed to withdraw from the territory of the new Principality of Albania. The principailty however included only about half of the territory populated by ethnic Albanians. A large number of Albanians remained in neighboring countries.Number of victims in the vilayet Kosovo under Serbian control in the first few months,was estimated at about 25,000 people.The number of casualties during the 1912th and 1913th in all the Albanian areas under Serbian control, Kosta Novakovic estimated at about 120,000 Albanians both sexes and all ages.The Serbian government officially denied reports on war crimes.. The events of the Balkan wars have greatly contributed to the growth of the Serbian-Albanian conflict.
Massacres
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Priştine
During the attack of Serbian army on Priştine (present-day Pristina) in October 1912, the Albanians (led by Turkish officers) abused the white flag on the city fortress, and this way killed many Serbian soldiers.[5] Then came the brutal retaliation of the Serbian army. Reports said that immediately upon entering the city, the Serbian army began hunting the Albanians and created a bloodshed by decimating the Albanian population of Pristina.
The number of Albanians of Pristina killed in the early days of the Serbian government is estimated at 5,000.
Ferizoviç
Once Ferizoviç (present-day Uroševac (Albanian: Ferizaj)) fell to Serbia, the local Albanian population gave a determined resistance. According to some reports, the fight for Ferizoviç lasted three days. After the fall of the city to the Serbian Army, the Serbian commander ordered the population to go back home and to surrender the weapons. When the survivors returned, between 300-400 people were massacred. Then followed the destruction of Albanian villages around Ferizoviç.
After the annexation of the city to the Kingdom of Serbia, the city name was changed to Uroševac, after Stephen Uroš V of Serbia.
Yakova
Yakova (present-day Đakovica (Albanian: Gjakova)) was mentioned among the cities that suffered at the hands of the Serbian-Montenegrin army. The New York Times reported that people on the gallows hung on both sides of the road, and that the way to Yakova became a "gallows alley."In the region of Yakova, the Montenegrin police-military formation Kraljevski žandarmerijski kor, known as krilaši, committed many abuses and violence against the Albanian population.
In Yakova, Serbian priests carried out a violent conversion of Albanian Catholics to Serbian Orthodoxy. Vienna Neue Freie Presse (20 March 1913) reported that Orthodox priest with the help of military force convert 300 Đakovica Catholics in the Orthodox faith, and that Franciscan Pater Angelus, who refused to renounce his faith, was tortured and then killed with bayonets. The History Institute in Pristina has claimed that Montenegro converted over 1,700 Albanian Catholics in the Serbian Orthodox faith in the area of Đakovica in March 1913.
Prizren
After the Serbian army achieved control over the city of Prizren, it imposed repressive measures against the Albanian civilian population. Serbian detachments broke into houses, plundered, committed acts of violence, and killed indiscriminately.Around 400 people were "eradicated" in the first days of the Serbian military administration. During those days bodies were lying everywhere on the streets. According to witnesses, during those days around Prizren lay about 1,500 corpses of Albanians.Foreign reporters were not allowed to go to Prizren.After the operations of the Serbian military and paramilitary units, Prizren became one of the most devastated cities of the Kosovo vilayet and people called it "the Kingdom of Death".Eventually, General Božidar Janković forced surviving Albanian leaders of Prizren to sign a statement of gratitude to the Serbian king Peter I Karađorđević for their liberation.It is estimated that 5,000 Albanians was massacred in the area of Prizren.
Luma
When General Janković saw that the Albanians of Luma would not allow Serbian forces to continue the advance to the Adriatic Sea, he ordered the troops to continue their brutality.The Serbian army massacred an entire population of men, women and children, not sparing anyone, and burned 27 villages in the area of Luma. Reports spoke of the atrocities by the Serbian army, including the burning of women and children related to the stack of hay, within the sight of fathers.Subsequently, about 400 men from Luma surrendered to Serbian authorities, but were taken to Prizren, where they were murdered.The Daily Telegraph wrote that "all the horrors of history have been outdone by the atrocious conduct of the troops of General Jankovic".
The second Luma massacre was committed the following year (1913). After the London Ambassador Conference decided that Luma should be within the Albanian state, the Serbian army initially refused to withdraw. Albanians raised a great rebellion in September 1913, after which Luma once again suffered harsh retaliation from the Serbian army.
In December 1913, the official report was sent to the Great Powers with details of the slaughter of Albanians in Luma and Debar, executed after the proclamation of the amnesty by Serbian authorities. The report listed the names of people killed by Serbian units in addition to the causes of death: by burning, slaughtering, bayonets, etc. The report also provided a detailed list of the burned and looted villages in the area of Luma and Has.
Consequence
Under strong international pressure, Balkan neighbors in 1913 were forced to withdraw from the territory of the internationally-recognized state of Albania. The new Principality of Albania included only about half of the ethnic Albanian territory, while a large number of Albanians remained in neighboring countries. These events have greatly contributed to the growth of the Serbian-Albanian conflict:
“ Unlimited enmity of the Albanian people against Serbia is the foremost real result of the Albanian policies of the Serbian government. The second and more dangerous result is the strengthening of two big powers in Albania, which have the greatest interests in the Balkans. ”
— Dimitrije Tucović, Serbia and Albania
After this war, Kosovo belonged to Serbia and was placed under military rule. According to the Report of the International Commission on the Balkan Wars, Serbia considered annexed territories "as a dependency, a sort of conquered colony, which these conquerors might administer at their good pleasure".Newly acquired territories were subjected to military dictatorship, and were not included in the Serbian constitutional system. The opposition press demanded the rule of law for the population of the annexed territories and the extension of the constitution of the Kingdom of Serbia to these regions.
“ We have carried out the attempted premeditated murder of an entire nation. We were caught in that criminal act and have been obstructed. Now we have to suffer the punishment.... In the Balkan Wars, Serbia not only doubled its territory, but also its external enemies.”
— Dimitrije Tucović
As a result of the Treaty of London in 1913 which legally awarded the former Ottoman lands to Serbia, Montenegro and Greece (namely, the large part of the Vilayet of Kosovo being awarded to Serbia), an independent Albania was recognised. As such, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro agreed to withdraw from the territory of the new Principality of Albania. The principailty however included only about half of the territory populated by ethnic Albanians and a large number of Albanians remained in neighboring countries.
Albanian Muhajirs
Albanian Muhajirs
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