Albanian nationalism in Kosovo

Part of a series on the
History of Kosovo
Prehistory Archaeology of Kosovo Neolithic sites Copper, Bronze and Iron Age sites
Antiquity Kingdom of Dardania Dardani
Roman Kosovo Dardania & Praevalitana Roman heritage in Kosovo Late Antiquity and Medieval sites
Medieval Kosovo Bulgarian Empire (681–1018, 1185–1396) First Empire Second Empire Kingdom of Serbia (1217–1346) Serbian Empire (1346–1371) District of Branković (1371–1412) Branković dynasty Moravian Serbia (1371–1402) Battle of Kosovo (1389) Serbian Despotate (1402–1459) Principality of Dukagjini (1387–1478) Dukagjini family
Ottoman Kosovo Eyalet of Rumelia Vilayet of Kosovo League of Prizren
20th Century Kingdom of Serbia First Balkan War Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) under Germany Albanian Kingdom under Italy under Germany Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1992) Socialist Autonomous Province
Contemporary Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2006) Autonomous Province 1991 Kosovan independence referendum First Republic Kosovo War (1998–1999) NATO bombing of Yugoslavia Kumanovo Agreement UN administration (UNMIK) 2004 unrest 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence 2008 unrest in Kosovo 2008 protests Second Republic (2008–Present) North Kosovo Crises 2011–2013 2012 Referendum Brussels Agreement Washington Agreement 2021 2022–2024 Ohrid Agreement Banjska attack
See Also Timeline of Kosovo history Destruction of Albanian heritage Destruction of Serbian heritage
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Kosovo is the birthplace of the Albanian nationalist movement which emerged as a response to the Eastern Crisis of 1878.^[1] In the immediate aftermath of the Russo-Ottoman war, the Congress of Berlin proposed partitioning Ottoman Albanian inhabited lands in the Balkans among neighbouring countries.^[1] The League of Prizren was formed by Albanians to resist those impositions.^[1] For Albanians those events have made Kosovo an important place regarding the emergence of Albanian nationalism.^[2] During the remainder of the late Ottoman period various disagreements between Albanian nationalists and the Ottoman Empire over socio-cultural rights culminated in two revolts within Kosovo and adjacent areas. The Balkan Wars (1912–13) ending with Ottoman defeat, Serbian and later Yugoslav sovereignty over the area generated an Albanian nationalism that has become distinct to Kosovo stressing Albanian language, culture, and identity within the context of secession from Serbia. Pan-Albanian sentiments are also present and historically have been achieved only once when part of Kosovo was united by Italian Axis forces to their protectorate of Albania during the Second World War.

Reincorporated within Yugoslavia, Albanian nationalism in Kosovo has drawn upon Kosovar folk culture and traditions which became imbued with theories of descent from ancient Illyrians and Dardanians stressing the purported precedence of Albanian settlement and rights to the area over the Serbs. Traditions of armed resistance by local Albanians to Serbian forces have existed since the interwar period resulting in various and protracted conflicts, ethnic cleansing and violence on both sides. The most recent was the Kosovo War (1999) between the guerilla fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and Yugoslav army who later were evicted from Kosovo through NATO military intervention. Placed under an international United Nations framework, Kosovar Albanians declared independence (2008) which is internationally recognised by some number of countries satisfying a main tenet of Kosovar Albanian nationalism. Albanian nationalism in Kosovo stresses a secular character sidelining religion.^[3]