| Dibran Wars | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of TheInterwar period,Albanian-Yugoslav border war (1921),World War I and theBalkan Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
.svg) Albanian irregulars from Dibër Principality of Albania(1921) |
 Greek volunteers(War in 1920) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Elez IsufiBajram CurriDemir LenaCen Elezi Sufë XheliliJashar Erebara Ramiz Dibra Ramiz Daci Diplomatic support: Hasan PrishtinaSulejman Delvina |   Peter I of Serbia | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown War of 1920: 3,000+ militants | Unknown War of 1920: 13,500 soldiers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Hundreds | Uprising in Lumë: 2,000 men 6–9 battalions (According to Ottoman reports) War of 1920: 1,000 soldiers killed 2,000 captured | ||||||
TheDibran Wars (Albanian:Luftërat Dibrane) were a series of armed uprisings and military attacks by AlbanianDibrans on Yugoslav and Serbian forces in a 9-year period between 1912 and 1921 in modern-dayNorth Macedonia,Albania andKosovo.
By 1912 most of the claimed Albanian lands had been captured by the Serbian Kingdom despite heavy resistance. The city of Debar (Albanian: Dibra), an Albanian populated city in north-westernMacedonia, and its inhabitants, the Dibrans, posed difficulties for the Serbian Kingdom, rising up in several uprising.[1]
During the years of 1912-21 around 5 uprisings of the Dibran forces happened against the Serbian and eventually Yugoslav forces. Chronologically the uprisings were:
The Uprising of Luma was the first war involving the armed Dibran forces. The armed uprising lasted between 30 October to 6 December 1912 and took place in theLuma region ofNorthern Albania. The Albanian troops were stationed in the Gjakova highland highlands (Morinë Pass - Prush Pass); Has (Planejë - Gorozhup); Zhur Pass; Vërrin (Billushë - Jeshkovë - Lybeqevë - Lez); Sharr mountains (Gur i Zi) and Opojë (Llapushnik gorge). To prevent the Serbian troops from crossing to the White Drin, the Albanians organized sveral ambushes in the villages of Shalqin, Domaj, and Gjinaj. The Lumë forces were made up of around 4,000 people, while the Dibra forces totaled to about 600.[2] The Lumë forces then captured the Lumë tower, winning the battle. Albanian forces in the evening of 17 November, attacked the carriages of Serbian convoys that were attempting to withdraw to Prizren. During these attacks, the Serbians lost many soldiers and materials. The fighting in the mountains was described in thememoirs ofKosta Novaković, a Serbian soldier who participated in the battle.[2] According to Ottoman reports, 6 Serbian battalions were killed, while according to a British report 9 battalions were killed.[3]
TheConference of London gave most Albanian land to Serbia, leaving the Albanian population unhappy. The Serbian army would pass through Dibra regularly and repressed the local population. Due to this and the recent placing of thousands of Serbian soldiers on the border with Albania, the Albanian Dibrans would revolt against the Kingdom of Serbia. Dibran forces liberated the largest parts of Upper and Lower Dibra and lands in the western parts of theBlack Drin river on 20 September 1913 and then liberatedPeshkopi, completely destroying an entire Serbian battalion. Fighting continued from the Castle of Doda all the way toTrebisht. On 21 September a group of 6000 Albanian Dibrans surrounded a group of 5000 Serbian soldiers and liberated Greater Dibra. Fighting continued on 22 September inMavrovl,Gostivar, andKërçovë, with the latter being liberated and then the entire city of Dibra was captured by Albanian forces. On the 26th of September Dibran forces capturedMavrovl,Gostivar, andLapushnik and began to march toStruga. By October 1913 Serbian forces had informed theGreat Powers that they had removed their forces from the Albanian border.[1]
During theGreat Retreat of the first World War, Serbian soldiers retreating through Macedonia began to march toPeshkopia, despite them allegedly guaranteeing to not attack Albanian populated land. They were attacked by Albanian Dibrans and were swiftly defeated in theBattle of Kaush.[4]
The Lura Massacre was a massacre perpetrated by Austrian soldiers between July 10 and 28, 1916. During the massacre Austrian forces killed 44 Albanian men and women in the areas ofReç,Dardhë, andLurë. The massacre had vengeful intentions according to the Austrian soldiers as Albanian Dibrans attacked a group of 10 Austrian soldiers nearGjurrë-Reç on 10 July of the same year.[4]
During the time of theKoplik War high ranking Albanians formed the Assembly of Arras, where it would be decided that a military force would be created led byElez Isufi,Jashar Erebara,Ramiz Daci, and many other Albanian warriors. This army sent an ultimatum to the Yugoslav army inLlasen telling them to withdraw from the region of Dibra in 24 hours or they were going to declare war. The Yugoslav army amassed to 10 battalions and outnumbered the Albanian fighters. After the ultimatum not being accepted the Albanian fighters began their attack on Yugoslav forces on 13 August 1920 attacking strategic points. Dibran forces defeated the Yugoslav army inLuzni and again while being led byJusuf Xhelili (Elez Isufi's grandson) in the Hills of Shumbat leading to 100 Yugoslav soldiers being killed and more than 600captured as prisoners of war.[4][1] Albanian Dibrans also started attacking Yugoslav forces and checkpoints nearPeshkopi forcing the Yugoslav forces to withdraw from their "strategic line". On 17 August Dibran forces liberated the city of Dibra and the Radika Gorge. Afterwards they were also able to liberatePeshkopi. The war ended in September of the same year, with Yugoslav forces momentarily retreating fromOhrid and theDibra region toGostivar. 1000 were killed and another 2000 werecaptured, while Albanian casualties were around 200-300.[5]
During theAlbanian-Yugoslav border war (1921) the Yugoslav army was attempting to capture the strategic mountain passes of Buall and Murrë together withLanë-Lura as this would give them an "easier" passageway toDurrës. They would position 5400 soldiers in this region and began their march before they were met by a group of 400 Albanian soldiers commanded byAli Riza together with 700 Dibran volunteers commanded byElez Isufi. The armies met in Gëlqere Pass on 26 October and the Battle lasted until 29 October. In the end the Albanian forces would emerge victorious pushing the Yugoslav forces outside of the region. By the end of the battle there would be many Yugoslav casualties, while 34 Albanian soldiers would be killed. The battle is also known as the Battle of Lanë-Lura.[6][4][1][7]