The annexation of Kosovo by Serbia in 1912–13

This study investigates key issues surrounding the First Balkan War, Serbia’s invasion of Kosovo, and the subsequent annexation of the region. Employing a qualitative approach through historical documentation analysis, it addresses the following: international recognition of Serbia’s annexation, the Serbian government’s treatment of annexed territories’ citizens, and the significant Albanian uprisings that followed. The findings suggest that Serbia and Montenegro’s annexation of Kosovo was unjust, contributing to long-standing conflict in the Balkans. The Balkan Wars dramatically reshaped the region’s geopolitical structure. The Vilayet of Kosovo was partitioned among Balkan allies fighting the Ottoman Empire. Initially framed as a liberation, the war quickly devolved into ethnic cleansing and territorial conquest, with Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria competing for Ottoman lands. From 1910 to 1913, Albanians were caught between repressive Young Turk policies and Balkan expansionism. With the Ottoman Empire’s swift collapse, Albanian-inhabited territories were seized, disrupting demographic and geographic continuity. One major challenge for Serbia was the legal and administrative integration of these territories. Serbia implemented administrative ordinances to incorporate them into its constitutional system. In response, Albanians launched uprisings against Serbian and Montenegrin rule, escalating tensions and leading to what some regard as a de facto Third Balkan War.