Kachak Movement

Kachak Movement
Date 6 May 1919 – 1927 Location Kosovo and Macedonia, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes Result Initial Albanian rebel victory Occupation of most of Dukagjin Creation of the Neutral Zone of Junik Eventual Yugoslav and Zogist victory Albania under Ahmet Zogu invades territories held by Kosovar Albanian Kachaks in 1923 and cedes the Neutral Zone of Junik to Yugoslavia. Death of Azem Galica
Belligerents
Kachaks Committee of Kosovo	Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes Principality of Albania
Commanders and leaders
Hasan Prishtina Bajram Curri X Hoxha Kadri Azem Galica † Shote Galica Sadik Rama Elez Isufi †	Alexander I Ahmet Zogu
Units involved
Kachaks	Royal Yugoslavian Army Royal Albanian Gendarmerie
Strength
At least 10,000 in the first phase (1919-1920) At least 1,000 in the second phase (1921-1926)	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown
Approximately 12,000 Albanian civilians killed between 1918 and 1921 30,000-40,000 Albanians forced to flee Kosovo in 1919

The Kachak Movement was a series of Albanian uprisings in Albanian-populated territories in Kosovo, Macedonia and Sanxhak^[1] from 1919 to 1927. The uprisings began after the end of the First World War when Kosovo became part of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (also known as Yugoslavia). Parts of the Albanian population which resisted Yugoslav rule formed the Kachak guerrilla movement under the leadership of the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo and conducted military operations and guerrilla-style attacks against Yugoslav soldiers and administrative establishments.

In response to the rebellions, Yugoslav authorities retaliated by conducting operations against the rebels and the civilian population. During this period, many atrocities were reported against the Albanian population, which included massacres, destruction of villages and looting. It is estimated that approximately 12,000 Kosovo Albanians were killed from 1918 to 1921 alone. The Kachak Movement was finally suppressed by 1927 due to the combined efforts of Yugoslavia and Ahmet Zogu, who scattered the leaders of the Kosovo Committee and quelled the resistance of most of the Kachak bands.