Kosovo uprising (1945–1951)

The Kosovo Uprisings were a series of Albanian uprisings in Albanian-populated territories of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1951. The uprisings began after the end of the Second World War when Kosovo became part of the Communist Yugoslavia. Parts of the Albanian population which resisted Yugoslav rule re-formed the Kachak guerrilla movement and conducted military operations and guerrilla-style attacks against Yugoslav soldiers and administrative establishments.

Course of the uprisings

After the end of World War II and the communist Yugoslav reoccupation of Kosovo, the Albanian nationalist resistance continued to fight against the newly established Yugoslav regime. In early 1945, large Yugoslav military and paramilitary forces were deployed across Kosovo. This included all eight Kosovar brigades, along with the 25th, 26th, and 27th brigades of the 46th Serbian Division, as well as various rear-line military organs tasked with carrying out political objectives. These forces conducted operations across Kosovo and other Albanian-populated regions. In the early months of 1945, Yugoslav forces intensified their repression of the Albanian population. On January 5, 1945, OZNA (the Yugoslav secret police) detained and executed 23 people in the village of Çarr in the Gjilan region. The following day, Isuf Pidiqi, a Kachak leader in the Karadak Gorge, was lured into an ambush at the Zhegër police station. There, Pidiqi managed to kill three OZNA officers before being fatally wounded while trying to escape. Reports from the time indicate that similar massacres occurred across multiple villages. In Llashticë, Karadak, the bodies of 12 Albanian villagers were left unburied for 3–4 days. At least 10 others were reported killed. Other villages, such as Shipashnicë, Hogosht, Kopërnicë, and others, saw similar events, with civilian casualties including women and children. In Lisovicë, seven family members were killed, and in Velegllavë, 35 people were reportedly killed, including seven women and two children.

Despite the repressive actions of the Yugoslav army, a number of Kosovo's military and political leaders chose to stay in the region and continue their struggle. These leaders, many of whom had been part of the Second League of Prizren, led guerrilla forces in areas like Karadak and Gollak. The resistance groups were composed of members of the Balli Kombëtar and Kachak movements, who engaged in direct conflict with Yugoslav forces. On August 15–16, 1945, these groups convened at the Kopilaça Congress in Karadak, where they decided to continue their resistance. The Albanian leaders at the congress, including Sylë Hotla and Ali Staneci, continued to fight the Yugoslav army. However, in October 1945, they received a letter from leaders like Muharrem Bajraktari and Mid'hat Frashëri urging them to flee to Greece. Mulla Idriz Gjilani intervened, advising the resistance not to abandon Kosovo and to continue their fight. Additionally, armed confrontations spread throughout the Drenica region. Notable battles were fought in Rezalla, Llausha, and Prekaz, where many settlements came under insurgent control. By the end of January, Shaban Polluzha led a successful assault on the town of Skenderaj, capturing it and establishing a rebel stronghold. A Yugoslav counter-offensive launched in February failed to reclaim the town.

By the end of 1946, Yugoslav authorities began military operations aimed at defeating the Albanian resistance across Kosovo. Due to the these operations, only 36 out of 1,735 resistance fighters survived. The Albanian resistance in the Karadak region was one of the last to be suppressed in Macedonia. It was led by figures like Sylë Hotla and other local commanders, including Ali Sylë Staneci, Sami Shabedini, and Hamzë Bilalli. On October 11, 1947, these leaders were ambushed by OZNA forces near Mount Pelister, on the Yugoslav-Greek border, effectively ending the armed resistance in this region.

The final phase of the resistance occurred in 1951 when the Yugoslav State Security Administration (UDBA) initiated a covert operation to eliminate the last of the Ballist and Kachak leaders, including Hasan Remniku and Mustafa Kokaj. Posing as individuals offering to help them escape into Albania, UDBA agents ambushed the two leaders on October 6, 1951, [...] Remniku, Kokaj, and most of their fighters after three days of fighting.

The uprising commenced on 22 January 1945, when Albanian insurgents initiated guerrilla attacks against Yugoslav units, ambushing them in various villages. One of the earliest attacks occurred in the village of Kolla, where rebel forces inflicted heavy casualties, captured Yugoslav soldiers, and seized significant quantities of ammunition. Notable battles were fought in Rezalla, Llausha, and Prekaz, where many settlements came under insurgent control. By the end of January, Shaban Polluzha led a successful assault on the town of Skenderaj, capturing it and establishing a rebel stronghold. A Yugoslav counter-offensive launched in February failed to reclaim the town. On 10 February, the 3rd Battalion of the 25th Yugoslav Brigade launched an assault on Adem Voca home. The battle lasted until 12 February, ending in the deaths of all 17 members of the Voca family, including women and children. Albanian sources claim that the Voca family inflicted 92 casualties on the Partisans during this siege. Eventually, the Yugoslav army launched a large-scale counteroffensive using the 27th Brigade of the 46th Serbian Division, the 5th Kosovar Brigade, and additional units. Albanian forces, facing shortages of food and ammunition, were gradually pushed back. According to Serbian sources, the Partisans executed around 2,000 civilians in Mitrovica, with additional mass [...] reported in Vushtrri. By mid-February, the rebellion of Shaban Polluzha was effectively suppressed. Key figures were killed during the fighting, alongside around 430 Albanian combatants. Yugoslav Partisans also endured substantial losses, with 2,550 killed, over 6,000 wounded, and approximately 850 captured. In retaliation, Yugoslav forces burned down more than 150 homes throughout Drenica and displaced over 6,000 civilians. The resistance against the communist continued. Ukshin Kovaçica another rebel in the Region had his own group which was the second largest after the group of Ahmet Selaci. In February, 1945, Ahmet Selaci's group was surrounded by Yugoslav forces. Ukshin's group managed to help him leaving 36 Partisans dead.

In August 1946, the regions Shala e Bajgorës, Drenica, Llapi and Novi Pazar formed the Ibri Division where Ukshin was named the commander of the third group with vice–adjutant Smajl Svarça. According to Yugoslav sources, in the battle from his Kulla 45 soldiers were killed including one captain and one mayor and an estimated number of 200 soldier were declared missing. On 16 December 1946, 18 members of the Yugoslav Secret Service and the KNOJ were ambushed and killed by forces under the command of Bislim Bajgora near Vushtrri. Bislim Bajgora was ultimately killed in combat on 3 March 1947. On February 19, 1947, after being surrounded in the Kozmatica Mountains, Selaci and several leaders fell in battle. The next day, Ukshin Kovaçica was ambushed and killed by Yugoslav forces in Vllahia. A meeting took place in the Gjakova region in 1946, where Gjon Serreçi helped to organize the logistics and structure of the National Democratic Committee. These gatherings aimed to strengthen the unity of the movement, coordinate actions, and plan for future operations to liberate Kosovo and unite it with Albania. During the summer of 1946, after the failure of the attack in Hoqë, Gjon Serreçi and his group, along with others from Dukagjin, retreated through the mountainous areas, moving toward the Gollak Mountains. The retreat was coordinated through secret routes and hideouts in the Dukagjin region. After Ymer Berisha departed from the villages of Gjakova, on July 10, 1946, in the mountains of Herec in Gjakova, he was surrounded by Yugoslav forces. Ymer Berisha was killed along with 8 other rebels, and 12 others were seriously injured. On February 8, 1948, during the Battle of Bokshiq, Ndue Përlleshi, along Shaban Dema and Ndrec Nikolla, fought Serbian, Montenegrin and Albanian communist forces numbering 600. Përlleshi killed 27 Yugoslavs, and wounded many others, and both his comrades died. He survived with four wounds and returned to his home until Janko Boric, the local community leader, spotted him and threw a grenade through his window. Përlleshi quickly grabbed it and tossed it back to Boric wounding him. Ndue Përlleshi was killed on 29 August 1949 in Albania by the communist forces of Mehmet Shehu.