| Velika attacks | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofBattles for Plav and Gusinje | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Principality of Montenegro | League of Prizren | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Albanian irregulars | ||||||
  Location within modern-day Montenegro | |||||||
TheVelika attacks were a series of attacks during theCongress of Berlin carried out by Albanian irregulars.
According to the decisions of theBerlin Congress, the territories ofPlav andGusinje (then part of theScutari Vilayet of theOttoman Empire) were awarded toMontenegro. Still, the Ottomans did not provide conditions for Montenegro to take over Plav and Gusinje. Officially, they intended to respect the decisions of the Congress, but in reality the Ottomans supported theLeague of Prizren they had established, also to avoid the fulfilment of the obligations they undertook at the Berlin Congress.[1][2] The Ottoman governor of Scutari sent ammunition to the local Muslim population of Gusinje in order for them to resist Montenegro.[3]
Until October 1879, Montenegrin forces were able to march into Gusinje without resistance. When Montenegro prepared forces for such an expedition, the Ottomans intervened with theGreat Powers to stop it, under the excuse of avoiding eventual conflicts. The Ottoman military officerMuhtar Pasha arrived atPrizren in November 1879, where he had 15 battalions. The Ottomans informed Montenegro that those forces would only be used to provide the peaceful transfer of Plav and Gusinje to Montenegro, which demobilized some of its forces based on this information. In the meantime, around 15,000 Albanian irregulars gathered in Gusinje.[4] The BritishAmbassador at Istanbul,A. H. Layard, informed his government that thePorte did nothing to prevent the influx of armed bands into the Gusinje region, and emphasized that the Porte would be held responsible for the consequences.[5]
HistorianMilovan Đilas emphasized that thenorthern Albanian tribes had territorial aspirations for the fertile plain along theriver Lim in Plav and Gusinje. After the Berlin Congress, their aim was to descend into the valley before the official institutions of Montenegro grasped firm control over it.[6]
 | This sectionshould include a summary ofBattle of Novšiće. SeeWikipedia:Summary style for information on how to incorporate it into this article's main text. |
The battle at Murino occurred about a month later after thebattle of Novšiće (December 4, 1879) as the Ottoman high command was preparing to send troops fromMonastir underAhmed Muhtar Pasha in order to pacify local resistance to the annexation. The Montenegrin forces moved fromPepići against the positions inMeteh, near Plav when they were intercepted by the League of Prizren. After the skirmish, the Montenegrin forces withdrew toSutjeska, nearAndrijevica and Albanian irregulars burned down theVasojevići settlements ofVelika, Ržanica and Pepići. Both sides after the battle claimed victory.
... Албанаца, постре- кавана је рд турских власти на отпор ради избјегавања уступаља Црнрј Гори одређених територија, лрије свега Плава и Гуеиња. Било је оружаних еукоба црногорске војске са Албанцима, кар на Новшићима ...
... све да област Гусиња не припадне Црној Гори. Скадарски валија Хусеин-паша упу- ћивао је муницију у Гусиње да се раздијели становништву. .
...place for Gusinje, and that the Turkish authorities were taking no steps to prevent the departure of these bands. I at once directed Sir A. Sandison to communicate this information to Sawas Pasha, and to speak very strongly to his Excellency on the subject, pointing out that, if anything should happen in consequence of these proceedings, the Porte will be held responsible.