Kosovo - Paper 1 for History

Timeline -

  • 12th century - Kosovo lies at the heart of the Serbian Empire, under Nemanjić dynasty. Many Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries are built.

  • 28 June, 1389 - Battle of Kosovo. 500 years of Ottoman Rule. Many Serbs start to leave the region. The religious and ethnic balance tips towards Muslims and Albanians.

  • 1689-90 - An Austrian invasion is stopped.

  • 1912-13 - The Balkan Wars. Serbia regains control of Kosovo from the Turks. Albanian is recognised as independent in 1913 by the Treaty of London, Kosovo is given to Serbia.

  • 1918 - Kosovo Becomes part of the Serbian kingdom.

  • 1941 - Much of it becomes part of Italian-Controlled “Greater Albania”.

  • 1946 - Kosovo becomes a part of the Yugoslav Federation.

  • 1960s - Belgrade shows increasing Tolerance for Kosovo’s autonomy.

  • 1974 - The Yugoslav Constitution Recognises Kosovo as autonomous province, giving them a de-facto self-government.

  • 1980 - Tito dies.

  • 1981 - Separatists rioting in the province are suppressed by the troops.

  • 1987 - Slobodan Milošević speaks in Kosovo to Serbs, who were protesting against alleged harassment by the majority Albanian community.

  • 1989 - Milošević strips rights of Autonomy laid down in 1974 constitution.

  • 28 June, 1989 - Milošević speaks Gazimestan on the battlefield of Kosovo.

Background -

  • Long time ago - Kosovo has always been separated between the two nations.
    Serbians: The land of Kosovo belonged to the Serbian empire in the 12th century.
    Albanians: Kosovo was belonging to Albanians during the Ottoman’s empire rule.

  • The Ottoman Empire - it’s decline started the ethnic tensions around Kosovo
    Serbians: Kosovo was the cradle of their Orthodox land, it was included in a lot of media and it bared a historical connection to the Serbs. In 1389 the battle of the Kosovo field [Kosovo Polje - Field of Blackbirds] happened, being a very significant event to Serbs, their mythology and identity. Having a deep religious connection and pride over the land, Serbians were claiming Kosovo as theirs based on historical and “connection” claims.
    Albanians: For centuries, the majority of the population in Kosovo was Albanian. They had distinct cultural communities, with mostly muslim, but also Orthodox and Christian parts.

  • League of Priznen - Albanian response to the congress in Berlin, through which they demanded autonomy.
    Was made to: Unite Albanians, since the congress threatened to spread the Albanian-populated lands, to resist the partition of their lands and resist foreign control.

  • Albanian Nationalism -
    Origins in 1980s - it all began with Albanian students of University of Pristina protesting. It started with a peaceful demonstration for better living quality and food quality. However, it quickly grew into a big protest with political demands.
    Spread - students became the catalyst, but the movement grew country-wide. Albanians were confused about the political marginalisation and economic hardships.
    Yugoslavian response - the Yugoslavian Authorities implied martial law and deployed troops, arresting thousands of people.
    Albanian response - Albanians started to build parallel institutions in education, healthcare, and civil society. This provided a national identity sense despite them not being recognised.
    Enver Hoxha - Stalinist principles of Hoxha influenced Kosovar Albanians, and influenced what political system they viewed as best. His regime was oppressive with stalinist roots. His politics left the country completely isolated (he called Yugoslavia and USSR “revisionist”, and later broke the relationship with China). Some Kosovar Albanians looked at his Albania for inspiration.

  • Constitutional reforms -
    Milošević is in power - He shifts the politics to open Serbian Nationalism, which Tito tried to not show. He turns to major propaganda and mass rallies. He replaced representatives of Montenegro, Kosovo, and Vojvodina with loyalists, saving him 50% of the votes in the federal presidency. This established Serbian dominance in Yugoslavia.
    Yogurt revolution - Vojvodina is getting their leadership removed and replaced with a loyalist of Milošević. He used the revolution to say that the autonomous provinces “yearned to come back to their roots”. This became the base for Serbian’s justification for their resurgence.
    Trepča miners strike - miners being on strike for Serbia revoking Kosovo’s autonomy. They marched to Pristina, becoming the symbol of Albanian resistance to making Kosovo Serbian.

  • Albanian Independence campaign -