Battle of Nokšić
| date | 4th December 1879 |
|---|---|
| place | Novšiće, Montenegro |
| output | Prizren League victory |
| consequences | The areas around Plav and Gusinje remained Ottoman until 1913. |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 4000 men | 2000 men |
| losses | |
|
300 dead |
300 dead and injured |
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The Battle of Nokšić ( Albanian Nokshiq ) on December 4, 1879 was an armed struggle between the army of the young state of Montenegro and the unofficial troops of the League of Prizren , who opposed the cession of territories inhabited by Albanians to newly created or Enlarged neighboring states of the Ottoman Empire fought. The battle is part of a border conflict that lasted from late October 1879 to January 1880, stylized as a myth by the Albanian side .
At the Berlin Congress , the Plav and Gusinje area was awarded to Montenegro. As a result, Albanian resistance fighters formed in Plav, who - in the end successfully - resisted a conquest of the area by the Montenegrins.
Starting position
After the decision of the Berlin Congress, the Ottoman troops withdrew from the Plav and Gusinje area, which was then occupied by Albanian resistance fighters from the League of Prizren . The Albanians came mainly from western Kosovo and the Plav region, but also from many other areas of northern Albania and Kosovo. The great powers - especially Russia - supported the efforts of Montenegro to take the territories. The league, however, had no international support.
course
After the troops of Montenegro had positioned themselves at the end of October 1879 in the border area with an army of approx. 6000 men, they faced around 4800 Albanians of the League - according to other sources between 6000 and 15,000 fighters. The Ottoman-Montenegrin border, which in this region mostly runs through the mountains, could only be crossed by the troops through the valley of the Lim River . At the place Nokšić (today Novšiće) a few kilometers north of Plav the valley narrows between the high mountains. The chief commander of the Montenegrin troops was King Nikola I , who had commissioned his general Mark Milani to take the area of Plav and Gusinje. The Albanians were under the leadership of Ali Pasha Gucia , a local nobleman.
There were always minor provocations by the Montenegrin side before this culminated on December 4, 1879 in an attack on the Albanian positions led by Theodor Milani. Up to 4,000 men from the Montenegrin side and 2,000 men from the ranks of the league fought each other in the battle. The battle, which was decided in close combat, ended with a defeat for the Montenegrins, which until then could not even be defeated by Ottoman troops.
After the troops of Montenegro were defeated, the Albanians withdrew to their territories, to make it clear again that the league had no territorial claims on its neighboring countries, but was determined to keep what belonged to the Albanians. The fighting on the border lasted until January 1880: At the beginning of January in particular, heavy fighting broke out again, which the Albanians were able to win through a sham attack.
consequences
The Plav and Gusinje region did not initially have to be ceded to Montenegro. After Mark Milani failed at the first attempt, he asked the king to be allowed to try again. The king refused, however, and decided to demand other areas for Plav and Gusinje from the great powers as compensation. Against the resistance of the Albanians, Montenegro was subsequently awarded the coastal strip around Ulcinj .
As a result of the Balkan Wars , Plav and Gusinje were awarded Montenegro in the peace of London in 1913 . Today around 20% of the population are Albanians.
Fighters, myths and fame
The battle and most of the fighters are sung about by the northern Albanians. It is also the subject of various songs from Gjergj Fishta's epic Lahuta e Malcís .
See also
literature
- Peter Bartl: Albania - From the Middle Ages to the Present . Pustet, Regensburg 1995, ISBN 3-7917-1451-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Koha Digest 57 (1995). Retrieved July 17, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c d e Arbër Ahmeti: Roli historik i luftës për mbrojtjen e Plavës dhe Gucisë Dhjetor 1879 - Janar 1880 . Prishtina November 30, 2008 ( text online ).
- ↑ Prime Minister Thaçi: Rugova is a name signifying Albanian pride, a place of traditional folklore, a place of unique cultural value. In: The Republic of Kosovo: The Office of the Prime Minister. June 10, 2011, accessed July 18, 2011 .
- ↑ a b Peter Bartl: Albania - From the Middle Ages to the Present . Pustet, Regensburg 1995, ISBN 3-7917-1451-1 .
- ↑ Flori Bruqi: Mbrojtja e Plavës dhe e Gucisë (tetor 1879-janar 1880). In: Dervina.com. November 1, 2006, accessed July 18, 2011 (Albanian). ( English translation )
Coordinates: 42 ° 38 ′ 27.5 ″ N , 19 ° 56 ′ 7 ″ E