Albania's Golgotha

Albania's Golgotha

Indictments of the Exterminators of the
Albanian People

Collected and Edited by: Leo Freundlich

Translated from German by: S. Sophie Juka



Juka Publishing Co. Inc. 1998 (revised
Edition) First published in 1992 in THAT WAS YUGOSLAVIA (No. 10-12)'92.
Edited by H.P. Rullmann, Hudtwalckerstrasse, 26-D2000,
Hamburg, Germany.
The atrocities committed by the Serbs against the Albanians
at the present time are not different from those perpetrated in 1912-1913, as described in
Albania's Golgotha.
I dedicate the translation of this book, published in
Vienna, Austria, in 1913 by L. Freundlich (who in the 1930 became a close friend of my
father^*) to the Kosovar martyrs, past and present: not only to the men who
de-fended bravely the land of their ancestors, and their own dignity as human beings, but
also to all other Albanians: the defenseless children, women and the elderly who lost
their lives, innocent victims of Serbian aggression.
New York, July, 1998

S.S. Juka
The proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to help
Kosovar refugees.

Contents Introduction (by S. S. Juka) Footnotes to the Introduction (by S. S. Juka) Albania's Golgotha (by L. Freundlich) The Albanians must be exterminated A Genocide War Manhunts The Blood Lust of the Serbs The Serbs Plunder! Mass Killings Devastated Villages Christians, too, are killed by the Serbs A Slain Priest Massacres ordered by Serbia Serbian Declarations Serbian Officers boast about their Heinous Deeds Carnage in Scutari The Serbian Denials Map

INTRODUCTION
In March, 1878, the Russians imposed the Treaty of San
Stefano on vanquished Turkey. The Treaty of Berlin, which was signed in July of that same
year, modified some of the decisions dictated in San Stefano, but remained favorable to
the Slavic populations in the Balkans while ignoring the rights of the non-Slavs, i.e., of
the Albanians.
Montenegro, Russia's protégé, was granted state Autonomy¹
and allotted territories which were nominally under Turkish rule but whose population was
Albanian: the rich valleys of Plava and Gusigne, the Albanian strongholds of Hoti and
Gruda, and also the seaport of Ulcin.²



Ancient Illyrian cities of Ulpiana and
Butrinti.

Ancient Illyrian cities of Ulpiana and
Butrinti.
The see of a Catholic bishopric from 877 to 1560, Ulcin had
practically never been under Slavic rule. Its population was 95% Albanian.³ The
Albanians defended it heroically, just as they had defended all the other regions allotted
to Montenegro by the Great Powers. However, the Great Powers eventually intervened using
naval and military forces and they handed over Ulcin to Montenegro.
As a result of the Treaty of Berlin, Serbia, which already
had state autonomy, was enlarged. The aggrandizement of her territory was also made
possible at the expense of the Albanians, who inhabited the towns granted to her, namely
Kurshumlija, Leskovac, Vranja, Toplica and Nish.
Bismarck applied to Albania the exact words once used by
Metternich in regard to Italy at a time when Austria was opposed to the creation of the
Italian state: "Albania," so the Prussian statesman declared, "is merely a
geographic expression; there is no Albanian nation."
The Treaty of Berlin became synonymous with injustice for the
Albanians who were deeply saddened not only because they were not granted state autonomy
like the other Balkan nations under Turkish rule, but also because territories inhabited
by their co-national were allotted to neighboring states. The decisions reached in Berlin
in 1878 marked the beginning of a long Albanian tragedy, a tragedy to which there seems to
be no end.

*****
As soon as the ceded territories were occupied by the Serbs,
the Albanians were submitted to a treatment described as "cruel" by foreign
diplomats.⁴ Tens of thousands of them were eventually forced to evacuate
places, where their ancestors had lived for generations, in a very brutal way and without
receiving the slightest compensation for their losses. The evacuated regions were
subsequently colonized by the Serbs within a short period of time.
The Serbs, however, were not satisfied with the annexation of
these territories to their state. They were bent on enlarging their domain even further.
They were watching for an opportunity to get hold of other portions of land inhabited by
Albanians. The Greeks and the Montenegrins were also on the watch; they too intended to
enlarge further their states at Albania's expense.

*****
It must be pointed out that when the Balkans were under
Turkish rule, the so-called "Albanian territories" were vast. They comprised
(see map) the vilayets (provinces) of Janinë, Manastir, Shkodër (Scutari) and
Sbkup.
The Albanians, fearful that the superpowers might decide to
cede to neighboring states other sections of their land, rebelled uninterruptedly against
the Turks in the hope of winning state autonomy. Their frequent insurrections weakened
considerably the position of the Turks in Europe.
In 1912, the Turks were so enfeebled that when the Albanians
captured Shkup (Uskub, Skopje) and Manastir (Monastir, Bitolje), they granted them state
autonomy within the vilayets of Shkodër, Janinë, Kosovë and parts of Manastir.
The extreme weakness of the Turks became thus evident. It was at that time that Serbia
decided to declare war on Turkey. The declaration was made two days after King Peter of
Serbia had issued the manifesto, "To the Serbian People," in which he asserted
that he was going to wage a 'holy war' in order to bring to the Balkan nations freedom,
brotherhood and equality.
As it turned out, the Turks were even more exhausted than
they appeared to be; in fact, instead of opposing a strong resistance to the Serbian army,
they decided to retreat. Those who resisted the Serbs were practically only the Albanians,
for it did not take them a long time to understand what the so-called 'holy war' was all
about: the Serbs were merely intent on conquering Albanian territories.
The Albanians, having no state of their own, had no regular
army; a few weapons here and there, that was all they possessed. As a result, it was
relatively easy for the well-equipped Serbian troops to advance despite the opposition
encountered. Thus the Albanian cities fell one after the other; Prishtina on October 22,
1912; then Ferizaj and Shkup. Prizren was taken on November 3; Gjakova (Djakovica) on
November 4 and Manastir (Bitolje) on November 20.
However, the capture of these cities did not appease Serbia's
hunger for conquest, for the age-old dream of the Serbs has been to have access to the
sea; they coveted the seashores of Albania. The project to create a state extending to the
Adriatic which would comprise all of the southern Slavs but where the Serbs intended to be
the sole rulers, may be traced as far back as the eighteenth century. This project was
very much alive among the Serbs at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, the
Adriatic seashores inhabited by the southern Slavs could be included in the future state
only after the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to which these territories
belonged. The destruction of this empire was thus urgent. The presence of the Albanians on
the Adriatic was also undesirable and had to be eliminated. Was not Montenegro given
Albanian seaports? Why not Serbia?
Consequently, Serbia made preparations for the expedition of
her troops to the Adriatic. The Serbs decided to proceed through Luma (Ljuma). In this
region, the Albanians opposed a heroic resistance to the Serbian troops, but lacking arms,
they were eventually overpowered by them. The capture of Luma greatly facilitated the
advance of the Serbian army toward the Adriatic.
On November 28, 1912, the Albanians, alarmed by these events,
proclaimed their independence in the southern seaport of Vlora (Valona). Playing no heed
to this proclamation, the Serbo-Montenegrins continued their aggression. Durrës was
captured on November 29, and shortly after, Elbasan was taken. The Serbs committed
unspeakable murders and also burned and destroyed everything wherever they went. The
ceasefire, eventually enforced by the Great Powers and accepted by the Serbs, was expected
to last from December 3, 1912 until February 13, 1913, but was broken several times by the
Serbian army.

Declaration of the Independence of Albania in Vlore on
November 28, 1912.

Declaration of the Independence of Albania in Vlore on
November 28, 1912.

*****
Although the Albanians had no allies to plead for them, the
Great Powers decided that the Albanian problem should nonetheless be discussed. To this
effect a meeting, known as the Ambassadors' Conference, was held in London on December 17,
1912.
Here, it was agreedthatAlbaniashouldberecognizedasan autonomousstate.Serbiaacceptedthedecisionreached attheConference,butshedideverythinginherpower topreventitfrombecominga reality.

*****
Albania'sbordershadyettobedemarcated. Theoretically,thebordersoftheBalkanstatesthathad beenunderTurkishruleweretobedelimitedprimarily ontheprincipleofethnicity.Thereisnodoubtthat, basedonthisprinciple,theterritorytobeassignedto thestateof Albaniawouldnothavebeensmall.Though manyAlbanianshadbeenmassacredbythe Serbo-Montenegrins,thosethatwereleftstill
constitutedanoverwhelmingmajorityascomparedto
theSerbianpopulation.TheSerbswereawareofthis factmorethananybodyelse. SinceAlbaniahadbeen occupiedbytheirarmy,theysucceeded,bymeansof threatsandbymodifyingstatistics,inpresentingthe smallSerbianminorityintheAlbanianregionsasbeing muchlargerthanitactuallywas.Moreover,theSerbs contendedandendeavoredtoconvincethemembersof theConferenceinLondonthattheAlbaniansinhabiting KosovaandMacedoniawereoriginallySerbswhohad beenforciblyAlbanizedandthattheywouldsoonturn Serbagain.AccordingtostillanotherSerbiantheory, theAlbaniansintheaforementionedregionswerelate comers;itwentwithoutsayingthattheyhadtobedriven out.

*****
ByassertingthattheAlbanianswerelatecomers inMacedoniaandKosova,theSerbsintendedtostress theimportanceofhistoryindecisionmakingwith regardtothedelimitationoftheborders.They contendedthatnotonlyKosovaandMacedonia,but alsothecityofShkodërandtheseaportofDurrës (Durazzo),aswellasalloftheregionthatatthepresent timeconstitutesNorthAlbania,hadbeenunderSerbian rulepriortotheTurkishconquest.
However,shouldhistoryandnotethnicitybe consideredasa basisforthedemarcationoftheborders, varioushistoricaldatashouldbetakenintoaccount.
WithrespecttotheAlbanian-inhabitedregions,itis importanttopointoutthefollowingfacts:
1.ItisundeniablethattheAlbaniansare, togetherwiththeGreeks,theoldestpeopleinthe Balkans.
2.ItalsoisanadmittedfactthattheSlavsare actuallylatecomersintheBalkans.Theydidnoteven comeasconquerors;theymigratedinsmallgroups.
3.True,theAlbanian-inhabitedregionswere ruledbytheSerbsfora briefperiodoftime.Butso werepartsofGreece.Thepopulationremained AlbanianasitwaspriortotheSerbianconquest.
4.Theregionsinquestionwerenotlosttothe Turksin1389.AtthetimeoftheKosovabattle,Serbia wassmall.
5.PriortotheSerbianoccupation,theregions inquestionwerefora periodoftimeunderBulgarian rule.ScholarsassertthattheSlavicnamesofvillages andotherplacesbothinGreeceandinAlbaniadate fromtheBulgarianratherthanfromtheSerbian occupation.
6. The Battle of Kosova was not fought by the Serbs alone,
but by a coalition of Balkan nations. The number of the Albanians who took part in it was
not negligible. Moreover, the hero of the battle, Milosh Kopili (who became known under
his Slavised name as Milosh Obilich) was an Albanian.

*****
The fact remains, however, that in the interpretation of
history, the imagination plays an important role, be it unwittingly, for history is, like
everything else, subjected to trends and fashions of a particular period of time. There is
no doubt that in 1913, Western imagination was marked by Russia and by the Slavs in
general. The Serbs, who had been for centuries under Turkish rule, and about whom the
world knew very little, managed to impose their own interpretation of history to the
members of the Conference in London. Serbia was supported not only by Russia, but also by
France.

*****
The Serbs insisted, in a particular way, that with regard to
the delimitation of the borders, priority should be given to territorial compensation
resulting from the Balkan War. Therefore, after having broken the cease-fire several
times, they resumed their mass massacresonFebruary3,1913,i.e.,assoonasthedelay fixedforthecease-firewasover.TheSerbsseemed convincedthatdecisionswouldactuallybemadeon thebattlefieldandnotatthebargainingtable.
Whenthedemarcationoftheborderswas announcedonMarch22,1913,theAlbanianswere deeplysaddenedbecausemorethanhalfoftheir territorieswereleftoutsidethebordersassignedtotheir state.Albania'sneighbors,however,werestillnot satisfied.SerbiawashopefulthattheGreatPowers wouldeventuallymodifytheirdecisionsandgranther DurrësandShkodër.InMarch,shesentnewtroopsto Albania.Althoughshehadagreedtoremovethemas soonasthebordersweredelimited,shecontinuedto keephertroopswithintheAlbanianstate.TheGreeks,
whoasmembersofTheBalkanAlliance,hadallied themselveswiththeSerbsinthehopeofpreventing thecreationoftheAlbanianstate,werealsoplaguing theAlbanianswithblockadesandbloodbaths.

*****
AlbaniensGolgathawaspublishedin1913, shortlyafterthedelimitationoftheAlbanianborders, i.e.,atthetimewhentheSerbo-Montenegrins,andalso theGreeks,werestillwithinthestateofAlbania.This bookletcontainsreportsandarticlesfromtheworld press,publishedbetweenOctober1912andMarch 1913.Thesetellaboutatrocitiescommittedbythe Serbo-Montenegrinsforthepurposeofexterminating theAlbanians:theirlootings,tortures,bloodbaths,etc.
Theeditorofthebooklet,LeoFreundlich,contendsthat some25000Albanianslosttheirlivesasa resultofthe massacrescommittedbytheSerbs.Thisfigureis considerableforthatparticulartime.Experts,however, assertthatitwasmuchhigher.

*****
AsstatedbyLeoFreundlichinthepreface,the accountscontainedinAlbania'sGolgothaarenot complete;theyconstitutemerelya smallfractionofthe materialthatisavailable.⁵Amongthereportsthatare notincluded,oneshouldmentionespeciallythose writtenbyMaryEdithDurham.⁶Ananthropologist,a painter,historianand journalist,MaryEdithDurham alsoworkedfortheMacedoniaReliefOrganization.' ShespentmanyyearsintheBalkansandlivedamong
AlbaniansaswellasamongSerbo-Montenegrins.When
shefirstarrivedintheBalkansin1900,shewaswell disposedtowardtheSerbs,asweremanyotherpeople inthewest,butsheeventuallydenouncedSerbiainall ofherwritings.AsAubreyHerbert,M.P.,remarked, "ItwasonlythecrueltyoftheSerbsthatturnedher
affectionintodislike."A passagecontainedinher TwentyYearsofBalkanTangle(London,1920) indicatestowhatextentshewasrepulsedbythe atrocitiescommittedbytheSerbo-Montenegrins:"On arrivinginLondon,"shewrote,"IpackeduptheGolden MedalgivenmebyKingNikolaandreturnedittohim statingthatI hadoftenexpressedsurpriseaspersons whoaccepteddecorationsfromAbdulHamid,andthat nowI
knewthatheandhissubjectswereevenmore cruelthantheTurk,I wouldnotkeephisblood-stained medalanylonger.I communicatedthistotheEnglish andAustrianpress.TheOrderofSaintSavagivento mebyKingPetarofSerbiaI decidedtokeepa little longer'tillsomepeculiarflagrantcase'."(p.25)
Infact,theSerbo-Montenegrins,oncefreed fromtheTurkishyoke,triedtoimposeuponother nations,betheyCatholicsorMoslems,a yokewhich wasmuchheavierthan thatoftheTurks."NoTurk," wroteMissDurhaminthatsamebook,"evertreated theArmeniansworsethandidthetwoSerbpeoplestreat
theAlbaniansinthenameoftheOrthodoxChurch"(p.235).

*****
Albania'sGolgothahasa
particularlydisturbing effectonthosereaderswhoarefamiliarwiththehistory oftheAlbanianpeopleandwhoknowaboutthe reputationoftheirsoldiers.Infact,Albanian mercenarieswereingreatdemand,justastheSwiss, onaccountoftheirbravery.Butinthefightsagainst theSerbsin1912-1913,theAlbanianswereunableto
displaytheirrealvaloranddignitybecausethesewere notbattlesbetweentwoarmies,wherethesoldiersof bothcampsmakeuseofequalmeans;theywere combatsbetweenthearmyofa
stateandanunarmed, defenselesspopulationthatcouldeasilybedefeatedand humiliated.Needlestosaythatproceduresofa similar naturearedevoidofgreatnessanddistinction.

*****
It is interesting to note that the Albanians did
not blame the Serbian people for the atrocities committed against them; they merely
condemned the Serbian government. Justin Godard, of the Carnegie Commission,
who pointed out this fact, added that all nations ought to be able to make the
distinction between government and people, as the Albanians did.⁷
However, governments followed governments in Yugoslavia without ever bringing about
a change in the treatment of the Albanians who continued to be harassed,
imprisoned, tortured, killed and discriminated against.⁸

*****
Variousmeansmaybeusedtocommit genocide:masskillings(aswasthecaseduringthe BalkanWars),deportations,imprisonments,etal.The worstkindofgenocideiswhenthehumanrightsofa peoplearecompletelyignored,forthisbringsabouta spiritualdeath.ThiswasthecasewhenKosovaand MacedoniabecamepartofYugoslavia.Atthattime, theAlbaniansinYugoslaviahadneitherschoolsfor theirchildrennorhospitalsfortheirsickpeople.The
Albanianpopulationwasdecimatedbyallkindsof illnessesandwhereastheAlbanianchildrenwerenot allowedtogotoschool,theSerbs,whoseilliteracy duringWorldWarI wasshockinglyhigh,couldprovide theirchildrenwithelementary,secondaryandhigher education.

*****
ImmediatelyafterWorldWarII,Titodecided thateachofthenationalitiesinYugoslaviashouldhave itsownrepublic--evenMontenegro,stilltinyalthough itsterritoryhadmorethandoubledfollowingtheTreaty ofBerlin.TheAlbanians,however,werenotallowed tohavetheirownrepublicdespitethefactthatthey
weremorenumerousthantheMontenegrinsandthe
Macedonians.Some40000ofthemdiedinthefirst yearsfollowingWorldWarII;otherswereruthlessly beatenandtortured.WhenRankovicwasinpower,a treatywassignedwithTurkey,onthebasisofwhich 300000AlbaniansweredrivenoutofKosovaand forcefullysenttoTurkey.

*****
AfterWorldWarII,exceptfora briefperiodof timewhenTito,havingdismissedRankovic,granted theAlbaniansa certainfreedomandevenallowedthem tofoundtheirownuniversity,theatrocitiescommitted againstthemhavecontinuedunabated:beatings, incarcerations,killings,etc.In1989,nomatterhow unbelievableitmightseem,theSerbsevenmanagedto poisonover6 000schoolchildren.

*****
SincethefallofRankovic,in1966,theSerbs havestartedtoaccusetheAlbaniansofpersecutingthe SerbianminorityinKosova.Thereisnodoubtthatthe purposeofthiscontentionistoturnworldattention
awayfromthetruegenocide:thatoftheSerbsonthe Albanians.
TheSerbshavealsopointedout,especially duringthesepasttenyears,thehighbirthrateofthe Albanians,whichallegedlyisa threattotheSerbian minority.Muchhasbeenwrittenbyforeign journalists onthathighbirthrate.Bycontrast,thefactthatthe
mortalityoftheAlbanianinfantsandchildrenisthe highestinEuropeisknowntoveryfew.
Itisinterestingtonotethataccordingtothe Frenchscholar,AmiBoué¹⁰in1838,Serbia's populationwaslessthan900000,whereasthe Albaniansnumberedover1 600000.Atthattimethe AlbanianswerealsomorenumerousthantheGreeks.
Thesefiguresgiveanideaastotheextentofthe Albaniangenocidewhichwasachievedwithvarious meansinconceivableintwentiethcenturyEurope.

*****
Theso-calledAutonomousProvinceof
Kosova is,eversinceitwasannexedtotheRepublicofSerbia inMarchof1989,a
frightfulconcentrationcamp,where peopleareconstantlytortured,bothphysicallyand mentally.TheAlbanians,dismissedfromtheirjobs, aredyingof hunger.Nohumanitariansocietyisallowed bytheYugoslavgovernmenttosendthemmedical supplies,foodandclothing.Strangelyenough,the Serbs,despiteirrefutableevidence,continuetodeny theirwrongdoings,astheyhavealwaysdoneinthepast, a factthatLeoFreundlichhasnotfailedtopointoutin Albania'sGolgotha.
Itissurprisingthatevennowthattheatrocities havereachedextremeproportionsbothinscopeandin intensity;evennowwhenithasbecomeobviousthat notsolelytheSerbiangovernment,butalloftheSerbian
peopleareresponsibleforthecrimescommittedagainst theAlbanians,the'civilizedworld'isstillmaintaining a shockinganddisturbingsilence.
InanarticlepublishedintheFrankfurter AllgemeineonJuly9,1991,JohannGeorgStadtmüller remarkedthattheunbelievableill-treatmentofthe Albanians,whichhasbeengoingonforsolong,is somethingofwhichEuropeshouldbeashamed.He addedthattheSerbsarenotmerelysubjectingthe nationalitiesthatmakeupYugoslaviatoill-treatment; theyarealsothreateningpeace.Mr.Stadtmüllernoted, furthermore,thattheSerbs,becauseoftheirbehavior,
somehowconveytheimpressionthatthereissomething
demoniacalaboutthem.Headdedthatthiscan,of course,notbepossibleforanentirepeople;allthatis neededtoimprovetheimageoftheSerbs,istomake themunderstandonceandforallthattheyhavenoright
tosubjugateothersinanarrogantway,butmustlearn tolivesidebysidewiththemasequals.

*****
AnAmericanpastorofSwissorigin,Frank Buchman,founderoftheMoralRearmament
movement,oncesaidthat"thereisenoughinthisworld foreverybody'sneed,butnotenoughforeverybody's greed."Whenthinkingofthisdeclaration,onemust admitthattheSerbshavesomehowmanagedtosatisfy theirgreed,whereasnothinghaseverbeenprovided forthemostelementary,themostvitalneedsofthe
Albanians.

*****
TheAlbanianshaveoftenbeenbetrayedbythe GreatPowers.Butalthoughfrustratedandbitter,they havenevergivenupthehopethattheirrightswill ultimatelyberecognized.
NowthatYugoslaviaseemstobedisintegrating, onewonders,of course,whatthefateoftheAlbanians inYugoslaviawillbe.Intheterritoriesinhabitedby them,theyconstituteanoverwhelmingmajorityandare almostequalinnumbertotheAlbanianpopulationin thestateofAlbania.Consequently,itwouldbeunfair
toregardthemmerelyasa minoritygroup;theyarea nationality.
Will the Albanian problem be solved in an equitable way or
will it continue to be ignored? Will the Albanians still be treated as slaves by the
Slavic populations? Will they continue to be victims of aggression and selfishness
as has hitherto been the case? Or will the rights of the Albanians finally be recognized
now that human rights seem to constitute the basis for resolving European problems?
Will the Albanians be finally allowed to work with dignity,
to develop their varied talents, and to channel their admirable vitality toward careers
with future prospects and toward goals that will not remain vain?

S.S.Juka

NewYork,July1991

Footnotes
¹Montenegroisa geographicalnameusedforthefirst timeinthefifteenthcentury,aftertheTurkishconquest; itisnotincludedinmapspriortotheseventeenth
century(seeF.Miklosic,DieSerbischenDynasten
Crnojevic,finBetragzurGeschichtevonMontenegro,
Vienna,1882).
²Ulcin:fromAlb.Ulk=
wolf.
³InoneofthearticlesonUlcinpublishedinTheNew YorkTimesbackin1880,it..isclearlystatedthatthe populationofUlcinanditsdistrict"isAlbanian"with justa "sprinklingofSlavsandGypsies"(NYT,Sept. 13,1880,4:3).
⁴"TheServianGovernmenthasbehavedwithgreatand unnecessaryharshness,nottosaycruelty,towardthe Albaniansintherecentlycededdistricts...the inhabitantsofover100AlbanianvillagesinToplitza andVranjaValleywereruthlesslydrivenforthfrom theirhomesteadsbytheServians..."(lettersenttothe SecretaryoftheForeignOfficeofG.B.bytheBritish consulinBelgrade,Nov.26,1878;see:BritishMuseum, "AccountsandPapers"-38-1878-9LXXX79,574-575.
Thisletterisreproducedin:S.Rizaj,TheAlbanian Leagueof Prizren,EnglishDocuments,Prishtinë,1978, pp,241-242).
⁵TheReportoftheInternationalCommissiontoinquire intotheCausesandConductoftheBalkanWars, CarnegieEndowmentforInternationalPeace,recounts theatrocitiescommittedbytheSerbo-Montenegrins againsttheAlbanians,thuscorroboratingthestatements containedinAlbaniensGolgatha.Butthereportwas publishedata laterdate,i.e.,in1914.
⁶MEDurham(1863-1944)publishedseveralbooks dealingwiththeBalkans:ThroughtheLandoftheSerb (1904),TheBurdenoftheBalkans(1905),HighAlbania
(1980),StruggleforScutari(1914),TwentyYearsof BalkanTangle(1920),TheSerajevoCrime(1925), SomeTribalOrigins,LawsandCustomsintheBalkans (1928).MissDurhamwaselecteda fellowoftheRoyal AnthropologicalInstituteof England.
MissDurhamrecountstheatrocitiesperpetrated bytheSerbo-MontenegrinsagainsttheAlbanians
especiallyinherStruggleforScutariwhichappeared
inprintin1914,i.e.,afterAlbaniensGolgatha.
However,priortothisbook,articlesonthoseatrocities writtenbyherhadbeenpublishedinvarious newspapers.
⁷SeeL 'Albanieen1921,Paris,1922,p.234.
⁸AccordingtotheTreatyof Saint-Germain-enLaye,the YugoslavGovernmenthadtoprotecttherightsofall thecitizens.ButthepersecutionsagainsttheAlbanians didnotstop.NicholasBojaxhiu,MotherTeresa'sfather, a
nativeofShkup,waspoisonedbytheSerbs,as reportedbyhissonLazërBojaxhiuinaninterview publishedintheItalianmagazineGenre(Dec.1979and Jan.1980).MotherTeresa'sfamilyeventuallymoved toTirana,Albania.
⁹DuringWorldWarI,"...illiteracyofthewholeSerbian nationwas83%..."(E.H.Huskell,"TheTruthabout Bulgaria," reprint from the
Oberlin Alumni Magazine, 1918).
¹⁰Born in 1794, the son of a wealthy shipbuilder,
Ami
Boué spent his childhood in Hamburg, Geneva and Paris.
Orphaned at the age of 11, he was brought up by his uncle Antoine Odier, a banker. But he
showed no interest in shipbuilding or bookkeeping. Instead, he went to Edinburgh,
Scotland, to study medicine. He was an excellent student. Thanks to one of his teachers,
he became, at the same time, deeply interested in botany and geology. His numerous
publications in this latter field are greatly valued by specialists. Boué was co-founder
of the French Geological Society. From 1836 to 1837, Boué, who by that time was an
established scholar, journeyed, accompanied by a team of experts, through European Turkey
for the purpose of studying the resources and the nationalities of that territory. In
1840, he published La Turquie d'Europe, a work which was admired for its unbiased
scholarship, its clarity and precision. The Serbian scholar and patriot Alexandar Belie
wrote that "it is superfluous to underscore the importance of the works by the
distinguished French scholar Ami Boué. His La Turquie d’Europe in four volumes, each
one comprising 400 pages, is a real encyclopedia with which no other publication of this
kind could possibly compare as of this date."
N.B. The reader may find the usage of quotation marks at
times faulty. I did not think it appropriate to make any changes. Also, I considered it
unfit to correct inconsistencies with respect to city names (thus: Scopio, ijskiib;
Tirano, Tirana; Prizrend, Prizren, etc.).

S. S. Juka

Albania's Golgotha
OntheeastbankoftheAdriatic,hardlya three- dayjourneyfromVienna,livetheAlbanians,an autochthonalpeoplewhoforcenturieshavebeen fightingforfreedomandindependenceagainstenemies andoppressorsofallkinds.Theyhavepreservedtheir originalitydespitenumerouswarsandhistorical upheavals.Neitherthegreatmigrations,northebattles againstSerbs,Turksandotherinvadersandoppressors havesucceededinpreventingtheAlbaniansfrom maintainingpureandunadulteratedtheirdistinctive traitswithrespecttorace,language,waysandcustoms.
Thehistoryofthisnationisanuninterrupted successionofthemostmurderousbattlesagainstcruel oppressors.Butnoteventhebloodiesthorrorshave managedtoexterminatethisstrongrace.Also,the intellectuallifeoftheAlbanianshasbeenremarkable despitethefactthattheoppressorshavenippedinthe budeverypossibilityofculturalprogress.Thisnation hasgiventotheTurkishEmpireitsmostoutstanding
generalsandstatesmen.Thebest judgesintheOttoman EmpireareofAlbanianorigin.Themostremarkable worksinTurkishliteraturearewrittenbyAlbanians.
NearlyallmerchantsinMontenegrowereoriginally fromthisnation.Thesamemaybesaidregarding merchantsinmanyRomaniancities.InItaly,too,the Albanianshaveplayedanimportantroleinvarious domains(Crispi,'forone,isofAlbanianorigin)andin Greece,themostcourageoussoldierswereof Albanian descent.
Followingthemassiveupheavalsproducedby theBalkanWar,thisnation'sage-olddreamoffreedom andindependencewasatlastgoingtobecomea reality.
TheEuropeanSuperpowersdecidedtograntstate autonomytoAlbania.
However,theSerbs,promptedbytheirgreed forconquest,deviseda meansofdestroyingthe beautifuldreamofa braveandfreedom-lovingnation shortlybeforeitcametrue.Serbiantroopsinvaded Albaniawithmurderousassaultsandarson."Sincewe arenotallowedtohaveAlbaniaitself,"sotheSerbs thought,"thereisonlyonesolutionleft:the exterminationof theAlbanians."
October18,1912,KingPeterofSerbiaissued hismanifesto,"TotheSerbianPeople,"inwhichhe stated,amongothers,thefollowing:

TheTurkishgovernments haveshowna
lackof understandingasregards responsibilitiestowardstheir
citizens,andtheyhaveturneda deafeartoallgrievancesand protests.Thesituationhas
eventuallybecomesuchthatin EuropeanTurkeynobodyis satisfiedanymore.TheSerbs,the GreeksandalsotheAlbanians consideritintolerable.

Asa result,I haveordered mybravearmy,inGod'sname,to wagea holywar,inordertofree ourbrethrenandtosecureforthem a betterlife.
MyarmywillmeetinOld
SerbiawithbothChristianand MoslemSerbs,whoarejustasdear tous,butalsowithChristianand MoslemAlbanianswithwhomour nationhassharedforthirteen centuries,uninterruptedly,both joysandsorrows.Weshallbring freedom,brotherhoodandequality toallofthem.
A halfyearhashardlygonebysincethe proclamationofthissolemnmanifesto.Howdidthe Serbsfulfillthepromiseoftheirking?
Theansweris:peopleweremurderedin thousands;men,women,children;theelderlytortured
todeath;villagesburneddownorlooted;womenand younggirlsrapedanda wholeland,devastatedand ransacked,hasbeenimmersedinblood.
TheSerbsdidnotcometoAlbaniaasliberators oftheAlbanianpeople,butastheirmurderers.Atthe Ambassadors'ConferenceinLondon,itwasproposed thatAlbania'sbordersshouldbedefinedonthebasis ofstatisticspertainingtonationalityandcreedwhich weretobevalidatedonthespotbya commission.The Serbshastenedtopreparethesestatisticswith
machine-guns,firearmsandbayonets.Theyperpetrated
atrocitiesimpossibletodescribe.Thefeelingof
indignationandhorrorarousedbythesecrimesis surpassedonlybythedreadfuluneasinessthatoneis boundtoexperiencewhenconsideringthatsuch frightfulhorrorsmaybecommittedinthetwentieth centuryintheveryheartofEuropenotfarawayfrom importantculturalcenters.Thisfeelingbecomesthe moredisturbingbecausenothinghasbeendonetoput anendtotheunspeakablemassacresdespitethefact thatformonthsnowreportersofallnationalitieshave beenwritingaboutthesehorriddeedsand notwithstandingthefuriousaccusationsthatPierreLoti2 hurledsovehementlyattheworld.A braveand remarkablepeopleisbeingtorturedonthecrossbefore theeyesoftheentireworld,andEurope,Christian
Europe,civilizedEurope,isnotutteringa wordabout it.
Tensofthousandsofdefenselesspeoplehave beenbutchered,womenhavebeenraped,elderlypeople andchildrenstrangled;hundredsofvillagesburned down,priestsslaughtered.
YetEuropeisremainingsilent!
SerbiaandMontenegrohavesetouttoconquer a foreignland.Butthatlandisinhabitedbya freedom-lovingandbravepeoplewho,despitecenturies ofbondagehasnevergottenusedtotoleratinga foreign yoke.Onaccountofthisfact,thesolutionwas:the Albaniansmustbeexterminated.
A brutal,dehumanizedarmyshowedbymeans ofdreadfulprocedureshowthisdecisioncouldbeput intopractice.
Innumerablevillageswererazedtotheground andcountlesspeopleslaughteredinbestiallycruelways.
Whereoncestoodmodesthomesthatgenerationsof poorAlbanianshadbuiltdiligently,therenowlieheaps ofsmokingruins.A
wholenationisbleedingonthe cross--andEuropedoesnotsaya word!

*****
Thepurposeofthispublicationistoarousethe awarenessoftheEuropeanpublic.Thecollectedreports includedinitconstitutemerelya fractionofthematerial thatisavailable.Besides,theircontentiswellknown totheEuropeangovernmentsthroughofficialconsular accountsandabundantreportsthathaveappearedin
thepress.
Sofar,thesegovernmentshaveremainedsilent.
Butnowanyprolongedsilencewillimply complicity.TheGreatPowersmustturntotheraging barbarianswithanunconditional"HandsOff!"In Albania,thecruelexpeditionofgenocidemustbehalted andaninternationalinvestigationcommissionsetup toinquireaboutthedreadfulchangesbroughtagainst theSerbiangovernment.
Aboveall,theSerbo-Montenegrintroopsmust leavewithoutdelaytheAlbanianterritorytheyhave invadedandtheGreekblockadewhichiscuttingoff Albaniafromeveryfoodsupply,mustalsobelifted.
I appealtothegovernmentsoftheGreat Powers;I appealtotheEuropeanpublicinthenameof humanity,inthenameofcivilization,inthenameof the distressed Albanian
people.
I turn to the public of England, to the nation who at the
time of the Armenian massacres raised so courageously her voice in defense of the
oppressed.
I address my appeal to the French, to the nation that has so
often proved that she stands for humanity and human rights.
A wretched nation enduring a dreadful fate is calling for
help from her Golgotha.
Will Europe hear her call?
Vienna, Easter Sunday, 1913

The Albanians Must Be
Exterminated
Inregardtothenewsreportthat300Albanians fromLjuma,whocarriednoarms,wereshotinPrizrend withoutlegalproceedings,theFrankfurterZeitung wrotethis:"Itseemsthatinthisparticularcase,the Serbiantroopsaretobeblamedforthecarnage. However,thereisnottheslightestdoubtthatonother occasions,whenverybloodymassacreswerecommitted byirregular,auxiliarytroops,theseactedunderthe ordersofSerbianauthoritieswhofullyapprovedthem.
Atthebeginningofthewar,weourselveswereoften openlytoldbySerbianofficials:"Weshallexterminate theAlbanians."Sincethispolicyofgenocidehasbeen
continuingunabateddespiteEuropeanprotests,we
consideritasourdutytoexposebluntlytheintentions oftheauthoritiesinBelgrade.Thesewillangrilydeny theirdeclarations,awareastheyarethatjournalistic ethics,donotallowustomentionnames.However,it isnotdifficulttounderstandthatwewouldnotrelease suchinformationifwewerenotabsolutelysureabout it.Afterall,thefactsexposedherearemuchmore eloquentthanthemostsincereconfessions.Sincelast fallwhenSerbiantroopscrossedtheborderand occupiedlandinhabitedbyAlbanians,onebloodbath afteranotherhasbeencommitted.

A Genocide War
InanarticlepublishedintheKreuzzeitung, ProfessorSchiemannwrotethis:Personallettershave beencomingherefromwarheadquarters,despitethe toughcensorshipinthealliedBalkanstatesaswellas thepressureputonwarcorrespondents.Theydescribe thedeportmentoftheSerbsandGreeksinthewar.The picturethatgraduallyemergesfromtheselettersis unusuallyafflicting.TheSerbs,ProfessorSchiemann
declaresinhisarticle,arewaginga warofgenocide againsttheAlbanians.Theywouldliketoexterminate thisnationrootandbranch.
TheDailyChroniclereportedonNovember12, 1912,thattheslaughterbytheSerbsofthousandsof Albanianswasanundeniablefact.NearÜsküb,2 000 MoslemAlbaniansand,notfarfromPrizren,5 000of themwerebutchered.Manyvillageshavebeenseton fireandtheirinhabitantsmassacred.Whenhomeswere searchedforweapons,theAlbaniansweresimplykilled evenwhennoweaponswerefound.TheSerbsmadeit
clearthatMoslemAlbanianshadtobeeradicated.They contendedthatthiswouldbethemosteffectivewayof appeasingthecountry.

*****
ThewarcorrespondentofPome'sMessaggero givesanaccountofthefrightfulmassacresperpetrated bytheSerbsagainsttheAlbaniansinthevilayetof Kosovo.Asa resultoftheresistanceopposedbythe Albanians,suchtownsasFerisovic,Lipian,Babusand otherswerecompletelydestroyedandmostoftheir inhabitantskilled.A
highrankingCatholicpriestmade itknownthatfightinginthesurroundingsofFerizovic ragedforthreedays.Aftertheconquestofthetown,
theSerbiancommanderissaidtohavesummonedthe fugitivestoreturnquietlyandtohandintheweapons.
Whenthiswasdone,threeorfourhundredpeoplewere slain.InallofFerizovic,onlyhalfa dozenMoslem familiesremainedalive.PoorSerbianfamiliesquickly settledinthehomesofthewell-to-dofugitives.

*****
TheParisnewspaperHumanitépublishedan officialaccountwhichhadbeencommunicatedtoa consulateinSalonica.Thiscommunicationtellsabout thewaytheSerbsactedinAlbania;abouttheirlootings, destructionsandmassacres.ThenumberofAlbanian villagescompletelyorpartiallydestroyedbytheSerbs ina systematicway,amountstothirty-one.Thegangs, ledbyKristofromKumanovo,SsiroDilowfromÜsküb, AlexandrowosfromIshtipandothers,plunderedallof thevillagesinthedistrictsofKratovoandKotchana,
setthemonfireandslaughteredtheentireMoslem population.InShuyovoandMesheli,alloftheMoslems wereslain;twohundredotherswerekilledinVetreni.
InBogdanitza,sixtyTurkswerelockedupina mosque.
Theywereletoutlateronandthereuponkilledoneafter theother.Inthedistrictof Kawadar,thirty-fourvillages outof
ninety-eightweredestroyed.TheTurks,someof
whombelievedtohavebeensavedthankstoa ransom paidtoa gang,werebutcheredbyanothergang.In Drenovo,alloftheinhabitantswerekilled.Between thisplaceandPalikuraa wholerowofgraveswere discovered,includinga fewwithheadsstickingoutof them.Theseweregravesofmartyrswhohadbeen buriedalive.

Manhunts
ThewarcorrespondentoftheDanishnewspaper Riget,FritzMagnussen,isa
manwhowasformerlywell disposedtowardtheSerbs.Ina telegramhesentfrom ÜskübtoSemlinbya specialmessenger,inorderto
avoidtherigorouscensorship,Magnussendescribesas
followsthecomportmentoftheSerbsinregardtothe Albanianpopulation:
Thewar-makingoftheSerbsinMacedoniais characterizedbya frightfulslaughteroftheAlbanian population.Thearmyiswaginga
horriblewarof genocide.Accordingtodeclarationsmadebyofficers andsoldiers,3 000Albanianswerekilledbetween KumanovoandÜsküb,andS 000aroundPrishtina.The Albanianvillageswereencircledandsetonfire.
Thereupon,theinhabitantswerechasedoutoftheir homesandkilledlikemice.TheSerbiansoldiersboast aboutthismanhunt.
Üskübisinanabsolutelyhorrifyingstate. Albanianhomeshavetobethoroughlysearched.Should someobjectbefoundthatlookslikea weapon,the membersofthehouseholdarekilledonthespot.Streets areveryunsafebecauseoftheconstantshootingfrom andatthehouses.
Yesterday,thirty-sixAlbaniansweresentenced
todeathbythewartribunalandshotdownimmediately.
Nota singledaygoesbywithoutsavagemurdersbeing committedagainsttheAlbanians.Theriver,furtherup, isfilledwithcorpses.Inthevillagesallaround,hunting expeditionsareorganizedeveryday.Yesterday,I was invitedtoparticipateinsucha huntbya Serbianofficer
whoboasted,atthesametime,ofhavingkilledwith hisownhandnineAlbaniansthepreviousday.

*****
TheReichspostreceiveda filefroma personalitywhosenameandoutstandingpositionmust beconsideredbyeveryrespectablenewspaperasa guaranteeregardingtheauthenticityoftheinformation includedinit.Thisinformationconcernsthedreadful crimesperpetratedinAlbaniabySerbiangangsandby regularSerbiantroops.

Thefilecontainsthefollowingreports:
ThecityofÜskübanditssurroundingsbear evidenceoftheatrocitiescommittedagainstthe Albanians.Fordaystogether,I sawthebattues organizedagainsttheAlbaniansbySerbianarmedgangs andbyregulartroops.Forthreeconsecutivenights,I couldseetheskyredwiththeflamesofburningvillages.
Asa resultofthesehorrendousacts,fivevillagesinthe immediatevicinityofÜskübweredevastated.Almost alloftheirinhabitantswerekilled,despitethefactthat inthesurroundingsofÜskübtheAlbaniansdidnot
opposeanyarmedresistancetotheinvadingSerbian
troops.Behindthefortressof Üsküb,thereisa precipice, which,tothisverydayisfilledwithcorpsesofover onehundredvictimsofthishunt.
Likewise,intheravine ofVistalaVoda,inthevicinityofÜsküb,lieeighty
Albanians.A trustworthyinformantwithwhomI spoke
myself,visitedthehospitalofÜskübshortlyafterthe Serbsenteredthistownandfoundthere,duringhisfirst visit,132woundedAlbanians.Thefollowingday,only eightyofthemwereleftanda fewdayslateronlythirty.
ThetreatmenttowhichthewoundedAlbanianswere subjectedwasabsolutelycruel.Theywererefusedfood anddrink.Asa result,someofthewounded,asreported byeyewitnesses,diedofhungeratthehospital.The
inhabitantsoftheregionclaimthatmanyofthecorpses andevenbodiesofwoundedpeoplestillalive,were thrownintotheVardar.Thisriverwashesdown,ata distancebelowthecity,twentytothirtycorpsesevery day.InmyhotelinÜsküb,severalSerbianKomitatchis
were stationed. They spoke very feely and boastfully, especially when the wine loosened
their tongues, about robberies and human battues. One evening, in the middle of the
street, two unarmed Albanians were killed.
They were going home quietly. The two killers, who shortly
after their misdeed made their appearance in the hotel where they got drunk, remained
unharmed by military authorities despite the fact that everybody in town knew that the
crime was committed by them.
Another bloody incident took place in the city on the Vardar
bridge. There, three Albanians, who were going downtown on errands, were attacked by
Serbian soldiers and killed immediately without a trial, without a hearing. Since the
soldiers seemed to find the digging of the graves strenuous because the soil is frozen,
many bodies of those who had been killed were simply thrown into wells. The informant
counted in the region of Üsküb thrity-eight wells filled with corpses of Albanians. The
authorities in charge of the persecution are connected with bandits. I myself was present
when a Serbian soldier in Üsküb produced two watches and 150 Turkish pounds which he had
already gotten hold of. Thereupon, the soldier noticed a well-dressed Albanian who was
passing by and, sincerely doleful, declared: "Too bad there are so many people
present; otherwise I would have spent a bullet on him." The Albanian is regarded as
an unprotected outlaw, a being not safeguarded by any government principle or legal power.
However, quite a few excesses are also committed under the influence of drink. The
inebriated military bands who roamed about an broke into homes were the most dreadful
ones.
Given the fact that I am very fluent in Serbian, Serbian
officers and soldiers have often considered me as one of their co-nationals. I was thus
told in a boastful manner by a Serbian soldier how he and his comrades had attacked an
Albanian village near Kumanovo: "Many of the inhabitants who were no longer
able to escape had concealed themselves in the attics of their homes. We forced them to
come out by means of smoke, when their cottages were on fire they came out of them like
moles out of their galleries, screaming, cursing and whiningly begging for mercy. We shot
them down at the doors. For children, we used our bayonets, thus saving our
bullets. We destroyed the village completely, because shots had come from a house which
displayed the white flag." Bloodbaths were not stopped by military authorities
anywhere. Many of the officers took part in the atrocities, and there was not a
single Serb who did not act from conviction that by committing these horrors he had
accomplished a rewarding act in accordance with the will of his superiors.

*****
In Kalkandele, eighty-five Albanians were killed in their
homes, where they were found by the Serbs, and the town was looted despite the fact that
no armed opposition had previously taken place there. The shameful acts committed against
women and girls, even against twelve-year-old children, are beyond description. The
horrors reached perhaps their peak when the soldiers forced the fathers and husbands at
gun point to be present and to light up the scene when outrages were committed by military
gangs at home against their daughters and wives. The town of Ciostivar was saved because
200 Turkish pounds were paid to the Serbian commander. Here, only six Albanians were shot.
In contrast with the places previously mentioned, Ferizovic
opposed an organized armed resistance. During the fight which lasted twenty-four hours, an
Albanian woman, seized the gun of her husband who had just been killed and shot down five
Serbs before she was killed herself. To the carnage of Ferizovic over 1 200 Albanians fell
victim. As of this day, the town has almost no inhabitants: remaining are only three
Moslem Albanians over fifteen years of age.
Also, in Gillane, where the Albanians did not defend
themselves, the entire population perished by fire and sword; the only survivors were a
few fugitives. At present, merely ruins are left to attest to the massacres and the fall
of Gillane.
In Prishtina, the Serbian occupation was even bloodier. The
Albanians estimated the number of the dead here at 5 000. One must admit, in all justice,
that here the white flag was very improperly used for after the flag was hoisted, Turkish
officers suddenly opened fire on Serbian troops. Their intention was obviously to obstruct
the armistice negotiations with the Albanians. The consequence of this deed was the
annihilation of hundreds of Albanian families; even infants in their cradles had to pay
with their lives.
In the village of lescovac, near Ferizovic, eight unarmed
Albanians were attacked by Serbian soldiers and immediately shot.

*****
The city of Prizren opposed no resistance to the entry of the
Serbian army. Yet, here too, as elsewhere, blood flowed in streams. Prizren is now, after
Prishtina, Albania's most desolate town. The native people sadly call it "the kingdom
of death." It is here that Serbian gangs wrecked the greatest havoc. They broke into
houses and massacred those who stood in their way, regardless of age or sex. For days, the
corpses of the killed lay on the streets unburied because the Serbian conquerors were busy
elsewhere, and the surviving Albanians did not dare to get out of their homes. The attacks
were repeated every night in the city and its surroundings. Some 400 Albanians lost their
lives during the first days following the invasion by the Serbs. Despite this fact, the
commander-in-chief, Jankovic, forced, at gun point, both the notables of Prizren and the
tribe leaders to sign a declaration of gratitude to King Peter for "the liberation
that came about thanks to the Serbian army." Then, as the Serbian troops, ready to
proceed westward, were unable to obtain horses to transport their equipment, 200 Albanians
were requisitioned. Each of them was to carry loads weighing fifty to sixty kilograms.
These men were then obliged to walk for seven hours during the night over rough roads in
the direction of the district of ljuma.
These unfortunate people reached their destination completely
tired out and in a frightful state as a result of the extreme exhaustion and the ill
treatment inflicted upon them. Even the Serbian commander expressed disapproval concerning
this kind of proceeding.
A woman from Fandi, named Dila, came to Prizren with her son,
another relative and two men from the village of Gjugja. She wanted to shop for her
daughter's dowry. Before leaving Prizren she applied, at the headquarters of General
Jankovic, for a pass for herself and those accompanying her; they wanted to cross the
Serbian military posts unharmed. She obtained the pass. When the five people arrived in
Suni, which is at a distance of four hours from Prizren, they were robbed of their
possessions. The four men were then tied up and thrown into a pit. Thereupon, these
unfortunate people were shot dead by soldiers from the edge of the pit. The desperate
mother, who witnessed the scene, called out to her son, but when she became aware that he
no longer moved, that he was killed, she fell on her knees before the soldiers imploring
them to kill her too. She was tied up to a tree. When officers came along having heard the
shots, the soldiers exhibited a loaf of bread, all broken up, which they had taken away
from the woman and in which they had inserted two Mauser cartridges. They showed this as
alleged proof that the men were trying to smuggle ammunition. Thereupon, the officers left
them alone.
The wretched woman remained from Monday afternoon until
Wednesday tied up to a tree facing the pit where her dead son was laying.
On Wednesday, completely exhausted as she was from lack of
food and the cold of the late autumn nights, she was dragged back to Prizren. She got
there Wednesday night. She was locked up again and the following day was taken to the
military headquarters. Although General Jankovic was obliged to admit that the sorrowful
woman in front of him was innocent, she was not set free but remained in custody at the
house of the Serbian bishop until the following day. Only then was she handed over to the
Catholics and taken to the Church; there, the poor creature was able to freshen up.
In Prizrend there lived a baker, Gjoni i Prek Palit, who had
to furnish bread to the Serbian troops. One day, the sergeant in charge of provisions came
to the bakery. Since he was planning to come back, he left his gun hanging there. A few
soldiers who haphazardly entered the bakery a little later noticed the gun and arrested
the baker, claiming he had violated the law that prohibited arms. He was immediately taken
to the military tribunal and shot dead. When Gini, the baker's brother, heard about the
arrest, he ran instantly to the sergeant and took him to the military headquarters. The
aforementioned sergeant testified that the Mauser gun was his own, and that he had left it
momentarily in the bakery. He also gave the correct number marked on the gun and
recognized that it was his own gun. Gini and the Serbian witness were beaten up and chased
away. Gini was unable to learn anything regarding his detained brother. Ten days later,
the corpse of the shot man was found some fifteen minutes away from the city by the
unfortunate mother. She had been looking for her son day and night, and believed him to be
still alive. She requested that the dead body be left with her so that she could provide a
Christian burial for him. Her request was denied. Thereupon, the Catholic priest appeared
before the commander and asked, in the name of religious freedom, for permission to bury
the body in the Catholic graveyard. This request was also rejected. The only authorization
granted was to bury the dead body on the very spot where it was found.
Even officers took part in the massacres. In Prizren a
soldier had asked in vain his regiment's officer for shoes, or opankas. He was then
advised by another officer that in case he would see an Albanian wearing good-looking
opankas, he should take them away from him, for after all, did he not have a gun! The
officer showed him his own opankas clearly indicating how he had appropriated them.

*****
In the surroundings of Prizren three Albanian villages were
completely destroyed and thirty municipality representatives from the vicinity killed.
The latter were accused of "being pro-Austrian". In
one of these municipalities, the soldiers forced the women out of their homes, bound them
together and obliged them to dance, lined up in rows. Thereupon, the soldiers opened
gunfire on these captives and had fun watching the defenseless victims as they collapsed,
bleeding, one after another.
When General Jankovic was informed that the Ljuma people were
setting about to impede the march of the Serbian troops toward the Adriatic, he gave
orders to proceed with excessive harshness. In the district of Ljuma, twenty-seven
villages were completely destroyed, and the inhabitants, including children, killed. This
region was the scene of the most frightening acts of cruelty perpetrated by the Serbs
against the Albanians during the genocide war: women and children were literally wrapped
in straw and burned alive before the eyes of their captive husbands and fathers. Pregnant
women were torn to pieces in a horrible way and the unborn child was set on the bayonet.
My informant, a highly responsible and absolutely trustworthy gentleman, added this to his
report: "All this seems unbelievable, but is nonetheless true." 400 men from
Ljuma who surrendered voluntarily were taken to Prizren, where they were killed daily in
groups of forty to sixty people. Similar executions continue to be carried out every day.
In the surroundings of Prizren lie unburied to this day, hundreds of corpses. Djakova,
too, is almost completely destroyed and its inhabitants are decimated.
Sixty Albanians were killed in Tertenik, thirty- two in
Smira, twenty in Ferban, nineteen in Ljubista.
In Kameno Glava, which numbered fifty households, all of the
men - without exception - were killed. In this latter village, the men were forced to
place themselves in a rank, and then to salute. Thereupon, they were tied up and shot
dead, without being tried by any military tribunal. In Presevo, too, there were few
survivors. The number of the Albanians killed in the vilayet of Kossovo is
estimated at 25 000, and this figure does not constitute an overstatement.

*****
On March 20, 1913, the Albanische Correspondent released
this information: We have received the following report from a reliable Albanian source in
Üsküb: Unbelievable crimes are being perpetrated both by Serbian troops and by Serbian Komitatchis
against the population in the surroundings of Üsküb, in the territories occupied by
them. European circles here were particularly horrified by the following incidents which
were ascertained in the most reliable way. At the end of February, Serbian armed forces
entered the village of Shashare. After they got all the men and the boys out of the way,
the soldiers raped the women and the girls. Serbian soldiers committed the same shameful
acts in the village of Letnica. It must be pointed out that the population of both
Shashare and Letnica is entirely Slavic and Catholic. Serbian troops do not stop from
committing unspeakable brutal acts even against Christian people of their own race.
In other districts, the wild troops have perpetrated even
worse atrocities. In twenty-nine villages situated in Kara Dag, 280 farmhouses owned by
Moslem Albanians were burned down, and all of the male inhabitants, unable to escape, were
killed by the soldiers with bullets or bayonets. The Serbs go raging from village to
village similar to the Huns. The villages of Trstenik, Senica, Vrban, Ljubista and
Giulekar were the scene of a horrible bloodbath. Here, 238 men were pitilessly
slaughtered. In Sefer, an old woman, together with her Catholic servant, were burned
alive. The wretchedness of the population is immense.
In the village of Ljubista, the misery is such that Moslem
Albanian women sell themselves for 400 plasters as property, or, so to speak, as slaves to
surviving Moslems. In this latter village a man, an old woman and two children were burned
alive by the Serbs. In Giulekar, the belly of a pregnant woman was slit open with a
bayonet and her offspring forced out of her body.
In Presta, a Moslem woman whose husband was taken away from
her, shot five Serbian soldiers. Thereupon, the Serbs set on fire the whole village,
consisting of 90 farms, and let it burn down to the ground.
Entire regions are being devastated by the Serbs, and the
inhabitants slaughtered. The Serbian rage is aimed against Catholics just as violently as
against Moslems. The surviving population is in a state of indescribable misery and
despair.
A report published in Deutsches Volksblatt, dated February
19, 1912, contains the following: "In the region occupied by the Serbs, there are
only few villages and communities which may be considered as completely spared by the
Serbs and too many Albanians who want to avenge themselves for the deaths of their wives
and children. A very small number of individuals obeyed the orders issued in town to
surrender weapons without delay. Most people concealed the weapons at home or escaped with
them, for it is easier for an Albanian to give up his property than to surrender his gun.
In order to enforce the law, patrols were sent to homes. They would search the house
thoroughly, and woe betide those in whose homes weapons were found.
The military tribunal pronounces the verdict within a matter
of hours. A striking case took place in Tirano. There, Serbian soldiers went to a merchant
and bought all kinds of goods. When it was time to pay, it turned out that they had no
money. Therefore, one of the soldiers gave the merchant his gun as a pledge of good faith.
Later on, the soldier concerned about his deed, went to the commander in charge claiming
that the merchant had taken the gun away from him. Shortly afterward, a patrol went to the
merchant, found the gun, and took the Albanian before the military tribunal.
Although he insisted he had accepted the gun as security, he
was, nonetheless, shot dead.
An Albanian man, from the village of Zala, north of Kruja,
escaped after shooting dead a Serb who had entered his hut and was about to attack his
wife. Later, when the Serbs arrived at the place where the shooting had occurred and did
not find the killer, they massacred all the inhabitants of that village, numbering over
one hundred, including women and children, and set the village on fire. This is,
unfortunately, the sad truth.

The Blood Lust of the Serbs
The following has been reported by the special
correspondent of the Daily Telegraph:
"The frightful persecutions in world history have
all been surpassed by the horrible dealings of the troops led by General Jankovic. During
their march through Albania, the Serbs have not only treacherously executed armed
Albanians but, in their awful savagery, they have also murdered defenseless people: women,
children, the elderly, and even infants on their mother's bosom.
Serbian officers, carried away by their conquests, have
proclaimed that the most effective way to bring peace to Albania is to exterminate all of
the Albanians. Between Kumanovo and Üsküb, 3 000 people were massacred by the Serbs. In
the surroundings of Prishtina alone, 5 000 Albanians fell under their blows. These people
were not killed in an honorable battle; they were victims of a series of horrible
slaughters. Also, Serbian soldiers have devised new methods of perpetrating atrocities to
satisfy their blood thirst. In several villages, the houses were set on fire and the poor
inhabitants ruthlessly killed like rats as they tried to rescue themselves from the
flames. The men were slaughtered before the eyes of their wives and children, and the
grieving mothers were forced to witness the massacres of their children, who were
literally chopped in pieces.
For Serbian soldiers, executions constituted a daily
entertainment. All of the inhabitants in whose houses weapons were found were executed.^*
They were either shot down or hanged. In one day, up to thirty-six executions took place.
Worth mentioning is the fact that Serbian nationalists living in Hungary have shown
indignation with regard to the massacres in Albania. Mr. Tomic, a former secretary of the
Serbian prime minister Pasic, said that during his trip from Prizren to Ipek, he did not
see anything else on both sides of the road but villages that were burned out and razed to
the ground.
The roads were studded with gallows on which bodies of
Albanians hung. The street of Diakovitza looked like an "avenue of gallows."
Even newspapers published in Belgrade shamelessly recount the
dreadful atrocities of the Serbs.
When the soldiers of his regiment marched into Prizren,
Colonel Osbic told them: "KILL!" The newspapers in Belgrade made it known that
when this order was pronounced, "the Serbian soldiers stormed into the houses and
killed every being they could find."
Later on, the Daily Telegraph published this report,
based on the account of an Albanian notable who guarantees its authenticity: Whoever
denounces an Albanian to the Serbs, can be sure that that particular Albanian will be
executed. There have been people who owed money to Moslem Albanians. They went to the
Serbs and denounced those Albanians as traitors. Those unfortunate Albanians were
immediately hanged. As for the denouncer, he managed to acquire, at a ridiculous price,
the house and the field of his victim.
In Üsküb, unarmed Albanians have simply been killed by
Serbian officers. If even a hunting knife is found in a home, the owner of the house is
killed.
In Ferisovitch, the Serbian commander had summoned the
fugitives to return and to surrender the arms. But when over 400 people came back, they
were murdered. In the whole town of Ferisovitch, there are hardly a dozen Moslem families
left alive. This account was confirmed by the war correspondent of the Messaggero.
In Pana, the prisoners were killed by the Serbs.
In Varos and Prishtina, the population is literally
decimated. The Serbian officers themselves admitted that 'they are in chase' of Albanians
and one of them boasted to have killed with his own hand nine Albanians in one day.
According to the same source of information, a physician of
the Red Cross reported this: The Serbs have killed mercilessly everywhere in
Albania. Neither women nor children nor the elderly have been spared.
In Old Serbia, I have seen villages burning every day.
In the vicinity of Kratons, hundreds of prisoners were lined
up in two rows, as ordered by General Stefanovic, and then shot dead with machine guns.
Near Sienitza, 850 Albanian notables were murdered by order of General Zivkovic on account
of the opposition they had shown.

*****
The Albanische Correspondenz reported from
Trieste on March 12 that "At the Albanian Congress was
read aloud a letter from Kroja, near Durazzo, dated February 27. Therrein, it was stated,
among others, that all of the buildings and also the villas of Mashar bey and Fuad bey
(both of whom were participating in the Congress) were burned down. In Vignola, near
Kruja, the brother of Ali Lam Osmani was buried alive up to the hip by the Serbs who later
on shot him dead. The letter ended with these words: 'We shall no longer see one another.
May we meet again in the other world'!"

The Serbs Plunder!
Ahmet Djevat, secretary of the Comité de Publication
D.A. C. B., issued the following information which is based on accounts of various
witnesses:
"In Strumitza, the Serbs committed unbelievable thefts
and robberies. Alone Major Ivan Gribic, who is commander of the fourth battalion in the
Serbian fourteenth line regiment, sent off to Serbia eighty cart-loads of furniture and
rugs. All of the women and girls in Strumitza were raped and forcibly baptized. The
remainder of the unfortunate Moslem population is dying of hunger, wretchedness and
malady..."

*****

*****
On March 21, 1913, the Albanische Correspondent received
from Trieste the following report: The misery in Albania has become most frightening. The
Serbian troops, having first taken Durazzo, were then thrown into the land without being
provided by the Comissariat with supplies of food and fodder. They were thus advised to
resort to requisitions. This was done with extraordinary cruelty. Of all the supplies that
were available, they took nine out of ten for themselves. They also refused to deliver
certificates for the supplies requisitioned by them.
Moreover, the Serbian troops did not make requisitions solely
for their own needs. Whatever provisions they could lay their hands on were taken away and
destroyed. Old olive trees, which had been planted way back during the Venetian rule and
which constituted their owner's livelihood, were felled by the Serbs, as were also
slaughtered by them cattle big with young. No sheep, no hens, not an oka3 of corn which
could be taken remained untouched by the Serbs. They also robbed and plundered
extensively. The Serbs shipped large amounts of rugs and other looted goods from Durazzo
to Salonica, whence they were then sent to Belgrade. The Serbs even took away antique
benches from the government building in Durazzo and sent them off by boat, together with
other spoils.
Fazil Toptani Pasha, to whom we presented this report for
examination, explained: "Whatever is contained in this report is true. But these
facts constitute merely a small fraction of all the hideous acts committed in our
fatherland by the barbarians. The Serbs broke into Albania murdering, robbing, burning.
They brought about devastations so abominable as to defy anyone's imagination.
We were told this by Dervish Hima: Let it be publicly known
that a large number of the Albanian people may die of starvation. We are in the spring
season. It is the time when the land is cultivated. But the seed has been taken away by
the Serbs. Yet even if the Albanians had the seed, they would still not be able to
cultivate the land. For, as people say, "should something grow, the Serb would
destroy it". This indicates to what extent the Albanians are horrified by the Serbs.

Mass Killings
A Romanian physician, Dr. Leonte, reported on January 6,
1913 in Bucarest's Adeverul that the atrocities he had seen perpetrated by the
Serbian army were much more frightening than one can imagine. The fact that hundreds of
captured Moslems had been ordered to march for as long a distance as one hundred
kilometers would have been for those unfortunate people the least of evils. However, when
one of these wretched people collapsed of hunger and exhaustion, he was finished off with
a bayonet by the next soldier and his corpse left right there. The fields are said to be
strewn with corpses of murdered people, including young men, women and also children. When
the Serbian troops entered Monastir, all of the wounded Turks lying in hospitals were
killed in order to make room for wounded Serbs. The soldiers stole whatever they could lay
their hands on. Even foreign banks were robbed. A Bulgarian professor, who became
unpopular with Serbian officials because he proposed a toast to King Ferdinand, has
disappeared without leaving a trace after that evening party when he proposed the toast.
Also, Dr. Leonte furnishes descriptions of massacres similar to those perpetrated by the
Serbs in Kumanovo, Prizren and elsewhere.

*****
On November 20, 1912, the well-known war reporter Hermengild
Wagner reported from Semlin: During my three-day stay in Nish, I was able to ascertain
shocking details relating to atrocities committed by Serbian troops. I should like to
remark that I have highly respectable witnesses for all these details. A fifteen-year-old
Albanian girl was taken to the fortress of Nish. She was suspected of having thrown bombs
in Ferizovic atthe Serbs who were entering that town. The poor girl who had been
charged with the crime was handed over to the Serbian soldiers instead of being taken
before a military tribunal. The soldiers hit her skull with clubs until it broke into
pieces.
A Turkish Mulassim, named Abdul Kadri bey, who was
taken captive, was beaten to death in the fortress of Nish. His corpse indicated that his
nose bridge had been fractured and his liver ruptured. The victim, in fact, was trodden
under foot until he died.
An Albanian, who made an attempt to escape, was pierced with
bayonets and died. Even his dead body was treated in a horrible way while it was being
taken to the morgue.
In the hospital of Nish, a number of Serbs entered a room
where wounded Turks were lying. A Serb shouted jokingly while pointing at a seriously
wounded Turk: "He is the one who wounded me." Thereupon, the whole band of Serbs
rushed headlong in the direction of the wounded and defenseless man and kicked him so
harshly that he eventually expired under their feet.
I was told by a horrified Red Cross physician that the
captives and the wounded, who may be seen in Nish and Belgrade, are merely for the show.
"The Serbs," he declared, "do not grant mercy. All of the Albanians,
wherever they might have been caught, and whether they carried weapons or not, were
murdered pitilessly. Women, children, the elderly ... frightful things happened over there
(in Old Serbia). I do not know how many villages have been burned down by Serbian troops.
I saw them burning every day in the distance. Near Kratovo, General Stefanovic, having
ordered hundreds of Albanians to form two rows, shot them down with machine guns.
Thereupon, the general explained: "These scoundrels must be exterminated so that
Austria may no longer be able to find her beloved Albanians."
Ten thousand Albanians resisted the advance of Serbian
troops. As a result, 950 notables of Albanian and Turkish nationality were slaughtered by
order of General Zivkovic.
Only few of those who were wounded in the battle of Kumanovo
were picked by the Serbs from the battlefield. The explanation was given by King Peter
himself when he visited the military hospital in Nish: A wounded Serb complained to the
king that the Albanians had fired at the Serbs with guns that they had captured from the
Serbs and that this was how he had been wounded. Thereupon, King Peter replied:
"The pigs will have to pay a high price for that!"
Serbian eye witnesses who took part in the battle, told me
with laughter how after the combat, the dead and the wounded -- Turks and Albanians alike
- were thrown into large graves. But after the heavy rainfall, the aspect of the
battlefield wasn't pleasant, indeed. The shallow mass graves of the Turks broke down. As a
result, hands, feet and heads of horribly distorted corpses emerged from the soil.

Devastated Villages
InÜsküb,a Serbianofficer,onhisreturnto town,wasabsolutelyconvincedthattheburningdown ofeightyvillagesintheregionofLjumawasjustified.
The Deutsches Volksblatt published on
February 14, a report from southern Hungary containing the
following statement:

The Serbian government should finally realize that the result
of such denials is to make Serbia's concern for truthfulness less and less credible. We
already had the opportunity to test the truthfulness of such reports when the King was
murdered. In fact, the government had at that time categorically and in highly official
form denied the news that King Alexander and Queen Draga had been murdered by perjured
officers. The government claimed, instead, that the king and the queen had killed each
other as a result of an argument they had...

As far as Albanian massacres are concerned, the sad truth is
that all of the descriptions that have reached the public so far, fully correspond to the
facts. They have only one defect, that they are not complete.
ThishasbeenconfirmedbynumerousSerbsthemselves oftenwithgreatpride.InthisconnectionI should merelyliketorepeatthedeclarationsofsomeonewho participatedinthefirstpartofthewarandwho,atthe presenttime,isprofessionallyactiveinsouthern Hungary.Althougha nativeofthekingdomofSerbia, thismanpreferstoliveunderAustria's'oppression', asfarawayaspossiblefromhisfatherlandinordernot todisturbthe'culturalandreligioustoleration'reigning there.Thiswitness,typicalofalltheothers,toldwith obviouspleasurehowSerbiansoldiershadmercilessly slaughtereda wholecrowdof Albanianpeasantswhose only'crime'wasthatweaponshadbeenfoundintheir homes.Myinformantnoticingmysurprise,declared calmly:"Wewerenotgoingtowasteourtimeescorting
thesepeopletosomefar-awaygarrisoncenter.What wedidwasmuchsimpler;thus,wewerefreeagainand couldquietlygotohavedrinks."Thispracticalpoint ofviewseemstobecharacteristicoftheSerbian militaryingeneral,fora
woundedmantolda visitorin a Belgradehospital,amongothers,thefollowing:"We lefttheTurksalone,butweslaughteredtheAlbanian dogs(!)wheneveritwaspossible."Anotherexample ofthiskindistheletterofa Serbianofficerwhichwas
alsopublishedintheMagyoroszag,whoseBalkan
correspondentistheAustriandeserter,IvanIvanovic,
formerlyheadoftheroyalSerbianpress.Inthisletter, onecanread,amongothers,thattheofficerhadseen withhisowneyeshowthesoldiers,afterthecaptureof Monastir,hadboundtogetherTurkishmen,womenand children,ingroupsofteneachandhadburnedthem
alive.Here,everySerbwhohasreturnedfromthewar scenetellsaboutsuchfeatsorsimilarones.Obviously, thesepeoplehavenotread,intheforeignpress,the officialSerbiandenialsoftheaccusations.

*****
AnAlbanianfromthevicinityofScopio reportedthefollowing:"WesawSerbiansoldiers comingtowardourvillage.Everybodyhurriedback home.I wasnotafraid.Wantingtoseestrangers,I stood infrontofthehouse.Theycamefast.I gavea cointo oneofthesoldiers.Thereupon,I washitonthehead andfelltotheground.Thesoldiersleftmelyingthere, andstormedintothehousewheretheykilledmymother andfather.Thentheysetthehousesonfireand massacredeverybody.WhenI wasabletogetup, everythingwasinflames."
InSefer,inthedistrictofGilan,theSerbsset onfirea hut,andtheythrewaliveintotheflamesits twoelderlyinhabitantswhowereunabletoescape. Anothermanhadhishandstiedtogether.Hewastold
toleave,butwasshot.
Thismonth,thefollowingplaceswereburned downforreasonswhich,ascommunicated,were inconsistentwithoneanother:Limbishte,Kolish,
TerpezaandGilektar.Inthelatterthreevillages
everythingwasannihilated,includingwomenand
children.
Inthedistrictof Djakova,inthevillageof Boba, fourSerbiansoldierswhotriedtorapethewomenwere severelybeaten.Thiscalledfora punitiveexpedition, whichwasdispatchedandBobawentupinflames.
Everythingwasdevastated.Whenthiswasdone,the soldierscameacrossseventyAlbanianCatholicsfrom Nikoiwhowerecomingtothevillagetodotheir shopping.Amongthesepeople,too,therewere atrocitiescommittedbythesoldiers.
InIpek,threewomenwerekidnappedbythe Serbs.Intheirturn,theMontenegrinskidnappedthree girls.
Inthedistrictof ljuma,thirty-twosettlements wereburneddown.Whoeverwascaughtthere,was slaughtered.
InDibra,too,Serbiansoldiersperpetratedthe meanestexcesses.Theytookawaywhatevertheycould carrywiththem.Thencameothertroopswhosetfire totwenty-fourvillagesandmassacredallofthe inhabitants.
InPrizren,theCatholicpriestwasnotallowed toadministerthelastcommuniontothedying.Whoever contactsthepriesthastoappearbeforethemilitary tribunal.

*****
ItwasreportedfromDurazzoonMarch8 that the Serbian troops had burned down the following villages: Ses,
Larusk, Minikle, Scej and Gromni.
In Ses, women, girls and several children, numbering twenty,
were locked up in houses which were then burned down.
The inhabitants of the villages around Kroja- Kurbinao took
refuge in the mountains in order to save their lives, leaving behind all their
possessions.