Baština (Jan 2018)
Albanian rebellions in Kosovo villayet in 1910
Abstract
New Youth-Turkish movement tried to introduce some novelties and carry out the collection of the remaining tax liabilities which faced with the non-approval of the Albanians in Kosovo villayet. The Albanians opposed the introduction of new cash benefits including the payment of the already existing ones. The endeavour of the Turkish authorities to implement their thoughts faced with great resistance among the Albanian population, which escalated during the first half of 1910and turned into open conflict with Turkish army. The first greater conflicts broke out between Đakovica and Peć, and enlarged afterwards to Kosovsko Pomoravlje and Lab. The passivity of the Turkish authorities and army as well as the avoidance of conflicts with the Albanians led to the appearance of more mutually non-connected rebellions. The number of regular Turkish units at this area at the beginning of the uprising was small. The bodies of the central power avoided conflicts and tried to reconcile the Albanians but, as the movement was getting wider and expanding, there were the influx of Turkish army from other parts of the Ottoman Empire and its concentration in the rebelled parts. Shefket Turgut pasha was the army commander whose dedication to the tasks execution led to the preponderance over the rebelled Albanians. He had managed to eliminate all resistance-related points so that until the end of May the army established order and peace at the rebelled territories after that it came about the disarmament of the Albanians. Nevertheless, the disarmament was not carried out properly due to the fact the Youth-Turkish regime after military victories wanted to make a bargain with the Albanians and got them for their ideas - 'to stay as the rampart of the Empire in Europe', as they used to be during the sultan Abul Hamid. Although some leaders of the rebellions and their partisans had been prosecuted in Thessaloniki and Skopje, the penalties were mild, and some of them were released home at the end of the year. Differently from them, Serbian teachers accused of arms possession stayed in the prison any longer waiting to be taken to the court. During the first half of 1910, Albanian rebellions showed all weak points of the Ottoman Empire, which were to be found in unenviable financial position. The events in Old Serbia had been followed with attention by the surrounding Balkan states including great powers, out of which some took part in these events.
