Political Forum - View Single Post - Anything that Serbia could recognize Kosovo as?

TrueAlbo2006 · #70 (**permalink**) 04-07-2008, 01:48 PM

In 1918, following the end of World War I, all Albanian-language schools in Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro were closed and the region's 400,000 ethnic Albanians were denied "nation status" (History Today 1 Dec. 1991; Hall 1994, 201; The Financial Times 29 June 1989). According to Hall,

the inter-war period thus saw a Serbian dominated nationalist Yugoslav state denying its non-Slav minorities cultural equality and the rights guaranteed to minorities under international law … Albanian schools and language materials remained suppressed, Albanian intellectuals, clergy and civic leaders were persecuted, and census figures were manipulated (1994, 201).

Serbian settlers were encouraged to migrate to Kosovo; by 1940 over 150,000 acres of land reportedly had been seized from Albanians and given to Serb settlers (The Financial Times 29 June 1989). Some 18-40,000 Slavic families settled in Kosovo by 1940 (History Today 1 Dec. 1991; Hall 1994, 202). At the same time, thousands of ethnic Albanians either fled Kosovo, were imprisoned or were forced to leave for allegedly advocating irredentist policies (History Today 1 Dec. 1991; Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180; see also Hall 1994, 202).

During World War II, from 1941 to 1943, Kosovo, along with Albanian-populated lands in Macedonia and Montenegro, merged with Albania under Italian occupation to form a greater Albania (Hall 1994, 203; History Today 1 Dec. 1991; Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180). A significant number of Albanians moved to Kosovo during this period and many Kosovars[3] took advantage of their new status to settle accounts with Serbs; many Serbs were expelled from Kosovo during this period (Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180; History Today 1 Dec. 1991; FRY Oct. 1995). German forces occupied Albania (and Kosovo) after Italy's defeat to allied forces in September 1943 (Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States 1997 1996, 109). When Kosovo was returned to Serbia in 1944 the majority of its population was Albanian[4] ; according to a 1948 census Kosovo was composed of approximately 172,000 Serbs and 500,000 Albanians (Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180).

In post-World War II Yugoslavia ethnic Albanians constituted the third largest national group in the country, the largest non-Slavic minority (Hall 1994, 204). They were divided between the Yugoslav republics of Serbia (which included Kosovo), Montenegro and Macedonia (ibid., 205). In 1946 Kosovo became an administrative region of the Republic of Serbia within the Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia (ibid., 204; Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180). The Albanian-language was legally acknowledged at this time but Serbian retained its predominance (Hall 1994, 204).

Kosovars reportedly endured harsh rule and stringent control under the leadership of Yugoslav Internal Affairs Minister and Vice-President Aleksander Rankovic, a man who viewed Kosovars as a dangerous "political liability" (Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180; Hall 1994, 204, History Today 1 Dec. 1991). Rankovic is said to have ordered police to apply pressure on Albanians to leave Kosovo; between 1954-1957 approximately 195,000 Albanians did leave (ibid.).

Reformists within the Yugoslav government secured the dismissal of Rankovic from his posts in 1966 (Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States 1997 1996, 841; Hall 1994, 205; New York Times 4 Apr. 1989; History Today 1 Dec. 1991; Ramet 1992, 189). Demands for reform in Kosovo, both among Kosovars themselves and in Belgrade, strengthened (ibid.; Hall 1994, 205; New York Times 4 Apr. 1989; History Today 1 Dec. 1991). In the wake of Rankovic's dismissal many Kosovars took to protesting in the streets to demand their rights (Ramet 1992, 190-91; Financial Times 29 June 1989; Hall 1994, 205). The central Yugoslav government of Josip Broz Tito in Belgrade responded positively to the Kosovars demands; Kosovo acquired the status of a Socialist Autonomous Province within Serbia in 1968 and Kosovars were permitted to fly the Albanian flag (ibid.; Ramet 1992, 191; Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180).

Constitutional amendments in 1969 and 1971 provided for a greater degree of self-rule for Kosovo, and symbolically saw the official name for the region changed from the Serbian term Kosmet (Kosovo-Metohija)….. In 1969 the essentially Albanian University of Prishtina was opened; and much wider opportunities in the arts and entertainment were given to the Albanian-language and culture (Hall 1994, 205; see also Ramet 1992, 191).

However, during this period, especially after the creation of Prishtina University (formerly a branch of the University of Belgrade), relations between Serbs, Montenegrins and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo began to deteriorate (Ramet 1992, 191). Thousands of Serbs left the province, including many professionals and educators (ibid., 191-92).

The 1970s saw the continued outflow of Serbs and Montenegrins from the increasingly Albanized Kosovo (History Today 1 Dec. 1991)[5]. The proportion of ethnic Albanians in the province continued to increase as the Slavs left the province and ethnic Albanians experienced the highest birth-rate in Yugoslavia (Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180). A 1981 Washington Post article indicates that since 1968 "Albanians have come to dominate the political life of Kosovo. They have replaced Serbs in key positions, … and made Albanian the dominant language in the province" (18 Apr. 1981). The New York Times notes that after Rankovic's departure the majority of Kosovo's police force and administrators were ethnic Albanians and Albanian became the standard language of the courts, radio, newspapers and publishing (4 Apr. 1989).

The most significant change of status for Kosovo came in 1974, however, when a new Yugoslav constitution awarded both Kosovo and Vojvodina province in Serbia's north greater autonomy within Serbia (Financial Times 29 June 1989; Encyclopaedia of Conflicts 1993, 180; History Today 1 Dec. 1991; Hall 1994, 205). After 1974 Kosovo enjoyed "a degree of autonomy vis-à-vis Serbia that was virtually equivalent to full independence as a separate republic, although the region fell short of republican status in name" (ibid.). Kosovo now had the power of a veto over all matters that directly affected the province; according to author and historian Miranda Vickers, Serbs in Belgrade were no longer in full control of the province (History Today 1 Dec. 1991; see also FRY Oct. 1995).

Economically Kosovo remained depressed, this despite substantial allocations of credits and funds by federal authorities (History Today 1 Dec. 1991). According to Vickers, "years of economic discrimination, exploitation and neglect fuelled the growing frustration and bitterness felt by Kosova's increasing output of unemployed graduates" (ibid.; see also Financial Times 29 June 1989). In March and April 1981 students in Kosovo led a "full-scale revolt" against authorities (ibid.; Financial Times 29 June 1989; Ramet 1992, 195). Rioters demanded either outright secession from Yugoslavia or republican status within the federation (Ramet 1992, 196; Hall 1994, 205-06). Central Yugoslav authorities used excessive to quell the disturbances which left hundreds of students and police dead and injured (ibid.; Ramet 1992, 196; History Today 1 Dec. 1991).