| 1901 massacres of Serbs | |
|---|---|
 Map of the Kosovo Vilayet (1881–1912) | |
| Location | Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (now Kosovo) |
| Date | 1901 |
| Target | Serbs |
Attack type | Massacres |
| Perpetrators | Albanians |
| Motive | Serbophobia |
The 1901 massacres of Serbs were multiple massacres of Serbs in the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia), committed by Albanians.
Serbs were maltreated and accused of being Serbian agents. [1] Panic ensued, and Serbs, primarily from the border areas fled to Serbia. [1] Albanians who participated in the Greco-Turkish War (1897) used weapons not turned in to the authorities against the Serbs in Old Serbia. [2] In May 1901, Albanians set Sjenica, Novi Pazar and Pristina on fire. [3] The Albanians went on a rampage massacring Serbs in Pristina. [4] Ibarski Kolašin (now known as North Kosovo), a forested region made up of 40 villages, largely inhabited by Serbs, where Serbian teachers and priests were active, had long irritated the Albanians and Ottoman government; Serbs were continuously maltreated in the region. [5] The Serbian government observed the developments in Kolašin, and did not remain idle. [5] The situation became serious, with Serbs being smuggled arms by Serbia to defend themselves. [2] In the summer of 1901, Albanians massacred Serbs in the Kolašin area. [2] The atrocities prompted the Russian government to intervene at the Porte. [2]
Initially, the Porte did not suppress the Albanian movement nor protect the Serbs. [1] Russia demanded that the Albanians and Turkish gendarmeries be punished and the Serbs be allowed to keep the arms for protection. [3] The Porte answered by mass arrests and criminalizing the Albanian language. [4] The governor ( vali ) was dismissed, and several other anti-Serb officials, and Albanian chieftains who had been especially cruel, were removed from their posts. [6]
Austria-Hungary, supported the Albanians, and tried to downplay the massacres. [3] The events were instrumental in the "Kolašin affair" (Serbian Cyrillic : Колашинска афера), a diplomatic conflict between Austria-Hungary, which supported the Albanians, and Serbia, which was supported by Russia. [7]
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