The Origins of the Albanian-Serbian Conflict

This chapter puts the KLA in the context of secessionist movements, the right of self-determination and peoples and what it takes for a secessionist movement to be successful. Against this background, it outlines the main historical developments that have led to the conflict between Albanians and Serbs, which is at the heart of the Kosovo conflict. The profound social and political changes caused by the Ottoman conquest, the role of nationalism, and the different positions of Albanians and Serbs in the Ottoman Empire are the deep historical causes of the conflict. The chapter traces the historical process that has made Albanians become the last among the Balkan nations to have their own state in 1912, and how Kosovo become part of Serbia. It illustrates the developments after 1912, especially the relationship between Albania and Kosovo, Kosovo’s status under Serbia, and the status of Kosovo under communist Yugoslavia. It concludes with an overview of developments which led to the removal of Kosovo’s autonomous status within Yugoslavia, the Albanian passive resistance, and eventually the emergence of the Kosovo Liberation Army.