What is the Conflict between Albania and Kosovo?
The Beginning:
Albania's name is derived from the Illyrian tribe Arber or Abereshë then later Albanoi. The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesman who appeared in the western Balkan peninsula. the Illyrian wars was between the Illyrians and the Romans pushed the Illyrians out of their settlements and basically pushed them out of the continent. After the Romans fell the Slavs from the western Balkans pushed into the continent. These Slavs settled in the Western Balkans such as in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo. After the Romans split the Byzantine controlled most of Albania at that time,. An alliance grew and Albanian chiefs failed to halt against the Ottoman Turks. |
The Ottomans:
The Ottoman Empire came to be in 1299 and lasted until 1923 it was a very Turkish-Muslim state that existed over 600 years.
It was one of the largest living empires in history and was one of the greatest civilizations in modern period. The territories the Ottoman Empire had control were Anatolia(part of present day Turkey), the middle east, parts of east and northern Africa. The Empire took control of lands that were previously controlled by the Byzantine Empire (East Rome). They were formerly Chritian territories but changed in places like Bosnia and Albania. The Ottoman Empire went to war with Serbia on June 15, 1389 by the time they had taken control of the Kingdom of Albania and were moving up the Balkans). The Ottoman forces led by Sultan Murad and the Serbian forces led by Lazar me at The Battle of Kosovo. Kosovo is a desolate, mountainous plain where the traditional lands of Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina meet. The Ottoman army was primarily a well armed and trained cavalry. The army facing the Ottomans included Serbians, Bosnians, and Albanians, each fighting in their own detachments. Other forces from around the Balkans fought with the Serbians to push back Ottoman occupation Lazar’s army included both cavalry and infantry forces. During the everlasting battle both sides we losing dramatically and neither of them were getting and advantage the Serbians were about to break in the Ottomans left wing but Branković and is twelve thousand troops left the battle field to stop the juncture of conflict which led to the defeat of Serbia. The Serbian forces fled but the Ottomans took control of the battlefield the Ottomans did not push into Serbia instead seeking a peaceful solution and an eventual alliance. The Battle of Albulena was huge for the Albanians Skanderbeg was in control of the Albanians for almost a decade and was betrayed by many of his officers and they left for the Ottoman force. The Ottomans came to Albania in late May 1457 and marched through the Mat River many of the Officers that were on Skanderbegs force were very familiar with his tactics so Skanderbeg created a new one. He split his forces in several different groups to flank different areas so as the Ottomans thought the Albanians were defeated Skanderbeg told the forces to group up and surprise attack the Albanian force killed and captured up to 30,000 men but Skanderbeg died in January 1468 witch would drag the war up until 1478 Albania was annexed by the Ottoman Empire. The Christians were either murdered or force converted to Islam. During the Ottoman reign thousands of ethnic Serbs moved out of Kosovo, and the Albanians soon moved in.
The Ottoman Empire came to be in 1299 and lasted until 1923 it was a very Turkish-Muslim state that existed over 600 years.
It was one of the largest living empires in history and was one of the greatest civilizations in modern period. The territories the Ottoman Empire had control were Anatolia(part of present day Turkey), the middle east, parts of east and northern Africa. The Empire took control of lands that were previously controlled by the Byzantine Empire (East Rome). They were formerly Chritian territories but changed in places like Bosnia and Albania. The Ottoman Empire went to war with Serbia on June 15, 1389 by the time they had taken control of the Kingdom of Albania and were moving up the Balkans). The Ottoman forces led by Sultan Murad and the Serbian forces led by Lazar me at The Battle of Kosovo. Kosovo is a desolate, mountainous plain where the traditional lands of Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina meet. The Ottoman army was primarily a well armed and trained cavalry. The army facing the Ottomans included Serbians, Bosnians, and Albanians, each fighting in their own detachments. Other forces from around the Balkans fought with the Serbians to push back Ottoman occupation Lazar’s army included both cavalry and infantry forces. During the everlasting battle both sides we losing dramatically and neither of them were getting and advantage the Serbians were about to break in the Ottomans left wing but Branković and is twelve thousand troops left the battle field to stop the juncture of conflict which led to the defeat of Serbia. The Serbian forces fled but the Ottomans took control of the battlefield the Ottomans did not push into Serbia instead seeking a peaceful solution and an eventual alliance. The Battle of Albulena was huge for the Albanians Skanderbeg was in control of the Albanians for almost a decade and was betrayed by many of his officers and they left for the Ottoman force. The Ottomans came to Albania in late May 1457 and marched through the Mat River many of the Officers that were on Skanderbegs force were very familiar with his tactics so Skanderbeg created a new one. He split his forces in several different groups to flank different areas so as the Ottomans thought the Albanians were defeated Skanderbeg told the forces to group up and surprise attack the Albanian force killed and captured up to 30,000 men but Skanderbeg died in January 1468 witch would drag the war up until 1478 Albania was annexed by the Ottoman Empire. The Christians were either murdered or force converted to Islam. During the Ottoman reign thousands of ethnic Serbs moved out of Kosovo, and the Albanians soon moved in.
Post Independence and the Cold War:
Around the early 1900's and late 1800's Balkan States were getting their independence from the dying Ottoman Empire. This would later lead to the Balkans gaining the nickname "The Powder Keg". Tensions were high with these states as they all claimed some lands others owned after Independence. But others hated them because of religious differences. Some states were Catholic such as the Croatians and Slovenes, but the Orthodox Serbs wanted to control all other Serbo-Croatian Slavs in the Western Balkans. The outliers were the Muslims in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Albanians and other Ethnicities moved around the Ottoman Empire. Many Albanians had settled in a previously Serb area in the Famous Kosovo Region. This made Serbs angry due to the Muslim Invasion in their Orthodox land. Albania stayed out of the Balkan wars, but was a battleground during WW1. They were bullied into submission by the neighboring powers of Yugoslavia and Greece, and gave them land. But they were soon annexed by Italy a couple months before WW2 began. After the war both Yugoslavia and Albania were Marxist-Leninist states led by their own leaders. But both of these states did not like the Soviet Union. Albania's only ally was China after the Sino-Soviet split in the 70's. The Regime soon ended in both nations in the 90's.
Around the early 1900's and late 1800's Balkan States were getting their independence from the dying Ottoman Empire. This would later lead to the Balkans gaining the nickname "The Powder Keg". Tensions were high with these states as they all claimed some lands others owned after Independence. But others hated them because of religious differences. Some states were Catholic such as the Croatians and Slovenes, but the Orthodox Serbs wanted to control all other Serbo-Croatian Slavs in the Western Balkans. The outliers were the Muslims in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Albanians and other Ethnicities moved around the Ottoman Empire. Many Albanians had settled in a previously Serb area in the Famous Kosovo Region. This made Serbs angry due to the Muslim Invasion in their Orthodox land. Albania stayed out of the Balkan wars, but was a battleground during WW1. They were bullied into submission by the neighboring powers of Yugoslavia and Greece, and gave them land. But they were soon annexed by Italy a couple months before WW2 began. After the war both Yugoslavia and Albania were Marxist-Leninist states led by their own leaders. But both of these states did not like the Soviet Union. Albania's only ally was China after the Sino-Soviet split in the 70's. The Regime soon ended in both nations in the 90's.
The Yugoslav and Kosovo Wars:
Tito was the leader of Yugoslavia until he died in 1980. After he died everything fell apart, Yugoslav fell was no longer communist after his death because people started looking at Nationalism and thinking about themselves as Serbs, Croatians, Slovenes or Bosnians not Yugoslavs anymore. Old Ethnic rivalries began to rise and the country began to disintegrate. The Yugoslav War was mainly focused on ethnic divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia was composed of Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs, and Muslim Bosnians. This lead to the Serbian armies massacring entire towns due to trying to eliminate other ethnic groups. Soon after UN intervention the war ended with an Independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Kosovo war lasted from 1998 to 1999 the war was fought between Kosovo and the federal republic of Yugoslavia . The KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) was created in 1991 in order to fight for Kosovo's independence or to join Albania due to the large Albanian population. Their first campaign targeted the Serbian law enforcement. The group also targeted Kosovo police station and also smuggling weapons from Albania. The KLA was focusing on the Yugoslavs Authorities and political opponents at the end of everything there were 1,500- 2000 KLA combatants and Civilians killed. In order to crack down on the KLA and other opposing groups, the Serbs began to genocide the Albanian Muslims as they tore into Kosovo. After months of the killings NATO sent in Airstrikes to bomb Belgrade into submission. As a UN resolution Kosovo was handed over to the UN as their buffer zone, it was later handed back to Serbia. Kosovo later claimed independence in 2008 but only 111 out of the 194 UN members recognize Kosovo as an Independent Nation.
Tito was the leader of Yugoslavia until he died in 1980. After he died everything fell apart, Yugoslav fell was no longer communist after his death because people started looking at Nationalism and thinking about themselves as Serbs, Croatians, Slovenes or Bosnians not Yugoslavs anymore. Old Ethnic rivalries began to rise and the country began to disintegrate. The Yugoslav War was mainly focused on ethnic divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia was composed of Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs, and Muslim Bosnians. This lead to the Serbian armies massacring entire towns due to trying to eliminate other ethnic groups. Soon after UN intervention the war ended with an Independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Kosovo war lasted from 1998 to 1999 the war was fought between Kosovo and the federal republic of Yugoslavia . The KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) was created in 1991 in order to fight for Kosovo's independence or to join Albania due to the large Albanian population. Their first campaign targeted the Serbian law enforcement. The group also targeted Kosovo police station and also smuggling weapons from Albania. The KLA was focusing on the Yugoslavs Authorities and political opponents at the end of everything there were 1,500- 2000 KLA combatants and Civilians killed. In order to crack down on the KLA and other opposing groups, the Serbs began to genocide the Albanian Muslims as they tore into Kosovo. After months of the killings NATO sent in Airstrikes to bomb Belgrade into submission. As a UN resolution Kosovo was handed over to the UN as their buffer zone, it was later handed back to Serbia. Kosovo later claimed independence in 2008 but only 111 out of the 194 UN members recognize Kosovo as an Independent Nation.