The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo,
[ sh-Latn-Cyrl, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово, separator=" / ", sq, Krahina Socialiste Autonome e Kosovës] comprising the
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
region, was one of the two
autonomous provinces of the
Socialist Republic of Serbia
, life_span = 1944–1992
, status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia
, p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
, flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg
, p2 ...
within
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
(the other being
Vojvodina
Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
), between 1945 and 1990, when it was renamed
Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, Косово и Метохиja, Kosovo i Metohija; sq, Kosova dhe Metohija), commonly known as Kosovo and abbreviated to Kosmet or KiM, is an autonomous province defined by the constitut ...
.
Between 1945 and 1963 it was officially named the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija, with a level of self-government lower than that of the
Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. In 1963 it was granted the same level of autonomy as Vojvodina, and accordingly its official name was changed to Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. In 1968 the term "Metohija" was dropped, and the prefix "Socialist" was added, changing the official name of the province to Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo. In 1974 both autonomous provinces (Vojvodina and Kosovo) were granted significantly increased levels of autonomy. In 1989, under the
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by ...
of
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...
, that level of autonomy was reduced. In 1990 the term "Metohija" was reinserted into the provincial name, with "Socialist" being dropped. From that point on the official name of the province was once again Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, as it was previously between 1963 and 1968.
Background
Until 1912, the region of
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
was under
Ottoman rule. After the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
it was incorporated into the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Prin ...
by the
Treaty of London. At the time that Serbia annexed Kosovo (1912–1913), the 1903 constitution was still in force. This constitution required a Grand National Assembly before Serbia's borders could be expanded to include Kosovo; but no such Grand National Assembly was ever held. Constitutionally, Kosovo should not have become part of the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Prin ...
. It was initially ruled by decree. Serbian political parties, and the army, could not agree on how to govern the newly conquered territories; eventually this was solved by a royal decree.
In 1918, the region of Kosovo, with rest of Serbia, became part of newly formed
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
(since 1929 renamed as ''Kingdom of Yugoslavia''). During the interwar period (1918-1941), the constitutional status of the region Kosovo within Yugoslavia was unresolved. In 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was attacked and occupied by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and its allies. The region of Kosovo was occupied by Germans (northern part), Italians (central part) and Bulgarians (eastern part). Italian occupation zone was formally annexed to
Fascist Albania. That marked the beginning of mass persecution of ethnic Serbs in the annexed regions of
Metohija
Metohija ( sr-Cyrl, Метохија, ) or Dukagjin ( sq, Rrafshi i Dukagjinit, ) is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According ...
and central
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
. A reign of terror was enforced by Albanian nationalist organization
Balli Kombëtar
The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front''), known as Balli, was an Albanian nationalist, collaborationist and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and by Midhat Frashëri. The move ...
and by
''Skanderbeg'' SS Division, created by
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
. By the end of 1944, the Serbian population of the region was decimated.
In 1944, Tito had written that it "will obtain a broader autonomy, and the question of which federal unit they are joined to will depend on the people themselves, through their representatives" although in practice decision making was centralised and undemocratic. There were various proposals to join Kosovo to other areas (even to
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...
) but in 1945 it was decided to join Kosovo to the
Socialist Republic of Serbia
, life_span = 1944–1992
, status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia
, p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
, flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg
, p2 ...
. However, one piece of the former Kosovo Vilayet was given to the new Yugoslav republic of
Macedonia (including the former capital
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
), whilst another part had passed to
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = ...
(mainly
Pljevlja
Pljevlja ( srp, Пљевља, ) is a town and the center of Pljevlja Municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro. The town lies at an altitude of . In the Middle Ages, Pljevlja had been a crossroad of the important commercial roads an ...
,
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje ( cnr, Бијело Поље, ) is a town in northeastern Montenegro on the Lim River. It has an urban population of 15,400 (2011 census). It is the administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre of northern Montenegro.
...
and
Rožaje
Rožaje ( cnr, Рожаје, bs, Rožaje), ; sq, Rozhajë) is a town in northeastern Montenegro.
As of 2011, the city has a population of 9,567 inhabitants.
Surrounded by hills to its west and mountains to its east (notably Mount Hajla), the ...
), also a new entity. In July 1945, a "Resolution for the annexation of Kosovo–Metohija to federal Serbia" was passed by Kosovo's "
Regional People's Council".
1945–1963
From 1945 to 1963, it was the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija ( sh, Аутономна Косовско-Метохијска Област / ''Autonomna Kosovsko-Metohijska Oblast''), which was a lower level of autonomy than
Vojvodina
Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
.
The Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija was created on 3 September 1945. After the break with the
Cominform
The Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties (), commonly known as Cominform (), was a co-ordination body of Marxist-Leninist communist parties in Europe during the early Cold War that was formed in part as a replacement of the ...
in 1948, Yugoslavia tightened certain policies, including stricter
collectivisation
Collective farming and communal farming are various types of, "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
. This led to serious reductions in grain production in Kosovo; there were food shortages across Yugoslavia. In parallel with this, the Albanian government began to criticise Yugoslav rule over Kosovo; the Yugoslav government responded with crackdowns on the local population, in search of "traitors" and "fifth columnists", although the earliest underground pro-
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
group was not founded until the early 1960s.
In the mid–1950s, the Assembly of
PR Serbia
, life_span = 1944–1992
, status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia
, p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
, flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg
, p2 ...
decided that the
Leposavić
Leposavić ( sr-Cyrl, Лепосавић, ) also known as Leposaviq or Albanik ( sq, Leposaviqi or ''Albaniku''), is a town and the northernmost municipality in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 18,600 ...
municipality (187 km
2) be ceded to the
Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija, after requests by the Kosovo leadership.
It had up until then been part of the Kraljevo ''srez'', of which the population was wholly Serb.
After this, the number of Serbs drastically fell.
In 1959, Leposavić was incorporated into the province.
After the
Tito-Stalin rift in 1948, the relations between Stalinist Albania and Yugoslavia were also broken.
Language policy
Language policy is an interdisciplinary academic field. Some scholars such as Joshua Fishman and Ofelia García consider it as part of sociolinguistics. On the other hand, other scholars such as Bernard SpolskyRobert B. Kaplanand Joseph Lo Bianc ...
was of utmost importance in communist Yugoslavia, which after World War II was reorganised as a
federation of ethnolinguistically defined nations, in emulation of the
interwar Soviet nationalities policy. For instance, in 1944, the
Macedonian language
Macedonian (; , , ) is an Eastern South Slavic language. It is part of the Indo-European language family, and is one of the Slavic languages, which are part of a larger Balto-Slavic branch. Spoken as a first language by around two million ...
was proclaimed for the sake of distancing former
Vardar Banovina
The Vardar Banovina, or Vardar Banate ( mk, Вардарска бановина, Vardarska banovina; sr, Вардарска бановина, translit=Vardarska Banovina; al, Banovina e Vardarit, italics=no), was a province (banate) of the King ...
, which was
incorporated into wartime Bulgaria, from
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian (, ; bg, label=none, български, bălgarski, ) is an Eastern South Slavic language spoken in Southeastern Europe, primarily in Bulgaria. It is the language of the Bulgarians.
Along with the closely related Macedonian l ...
and culture. Likewise, in postwar Kosovo, the local
Albanian language
Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Eur ...
was distanced from Albania's standard steeped in
Tosk, by basing it on the Kosovar dialect of
Gheg. As a result, a standard Kosovar language was formed. However, after the rapprochement between Albania and Yugoslavia at the turn of the 1970s, Belgrade adopted Albania's Tosk-based standard of the Albanian language, which ended the brief flourishing of the Gheg-based Kosovar language.
1963–1968
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija ( sh, Аутономна Покрајина Косово и Метохија / ''Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo i Metohija'', sq, Krahina Autonome e Kosovës dhe Metohisë) was the name used from 1963 to 1968, when the term "Metohija" was dropped, and the prefix "Socialist" was added.
Kosovo officially became an autonomous province in 1963, after the
constitutional reforms, and its position was equalized with the status of Vojvodina. Tensions between ethnic Albanians and the Yugoslav and Serbian governments were significant, not only due to national tensions but also due to political ideological concerns, especially regarding relations with neighbouring Albania.
Independent International Commission on Kosovo
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
. ''The Kosovo report: conflict, international response, lessons learned''. New York, New York, USA: Oxford University Press, 2000. Pp. 35. Harsh repressive measures were imposed on Kosovo Albanians due to suspicions that they there were sympathisers of the
Stalinist
Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory ...
policies of Albania's
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanians, Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was Secretary (title)#First secretary, First Secretary of t ...
.
In 1956, a show trial in Priština was held in which multiple Albanian Communists of Kosovo were convicted of being infiltrators from Albania and were given long prison sentences.
High-ranking Serbian communist official
Aleksandar Ranković sought to secure the position of the Serbs in Kosovo and gave them dominance in Kosovo's
nomenklatura
The ''nomenklatura'' ( rus, номенклату́ра, p=nəmʲɪnklɐˈturə, a=ru-номенклатура.ogg; from la, nomenclatura) were a category of people within the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key admin ...
.
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
in Kosovo at this time was repressed and both Albanians and Muslim Slavs were encouraged to declare themselves to be Turkish and emigrate to Turkey.
At the same time
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
and
Montenegrins
Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Genetics
Accordi ...
dominated the government, security forces, and industrial employment in Kosovo.
Albanians resented these conditions and protested against them in the late 1960s, accusing the actions taken by authorities in Kosovo as being
colonialist
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
, as well as demanding that Kosovo be made a republic, or declaring support for Albania.
1968–1990
The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo ( sh, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово / ''Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo'', sq, Krahina Socialiste Autonome e Kosovës) was the name used from 1968, when the prefix "Socialist" was added, and the term "Metohija" was dropped. The name ''Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo'' was officially used until 1990, when the term "Metohija" was reinserted into the official name, and the prefix "Socialist" was dropped.
Building substantial autonomy: 1968–1974
Autonomy of Kosovo was significantly strengthened in 1968, as a result of major political changes in Yugoslavia. After the earlier ouster of Ranković in 1966, the agenda of pro-decentralisation reformers in Yugoslavia, especially from Slovenia and Croatia, succeeded in 1968 in attaining significant constitutional decentralisation of powers, creating substantial autonomy in both Kosovo and Vojvodina, and recognising a
Muslim Yugoslav nationality.
[Melissa Katherine Bokovoy, Jill A. Irvine, Carol S. Lilly. State-society relations in Yugoslavia, 1945–1992. Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA: Palgrave Macmillan, 1997. Pp. 296.] As a result of these reforms, there was a massive overhaul of Kosovo's nomenklatura and police, that shifted from being Serb-dominated to ethnic Albanian-dominated through firing Serbs in large scale.
Further concessions were made to the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo in response to unrest, including the creation of the
University of Pristina
The University of Pristina ( sq, Universiteti i Prishtinës) is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the ...
as an
Albanian language
Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Eur ...
institution.
These changes created widespread fear amongst Serbs that they were being made
second-class citizens in Yugoslavia by these changes.
Substantial autonomy achieved: 1974–1990
The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo received more autonomy within Serbia and Yugoslavia by
constitutional reform
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...
in 1974. In the new constitutions of Yugoslavia and Serbia, adopted during the reform of 1974, Kosovo was granted major autonomy, allowing it to have not only its own administration and assembly, but also a substantial constitutional, legislative and judicial autonomy.
[Independent International Commission on Kosovo. ''The Kosovo report: conflict, international response, lessons learned''. New York, New York, USA: Oxford University Press, 2000. Pp. 35–36.]
Per the Constitutions of SFR Yugoslavia and SR Serbia, SAP Kosovo also gained its own Constitution. The Province of Kosovo gained the highest officials, most notably Presidency and Government, and gained a seat in the Federal
Presidium of Yugoslavia (including veto power on the federal level) which equated it to the states of SR Serbia.
The local Albanian-dominated ruling class had been asking for recognition of Kosovo as a parallel republic to Serbia within the Federation, and after
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...
’s death in 1980, the demands were renewed. In March 1981, Albanian students started the
1981 protests in Kosovo
In March and April 1981, a student protest in Pristina, the capital of the then Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, led to widespread protests by Kosovo Albanians demanding more autonomy within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslav ...
, where a social protest turned into violent mass riots with nationalist demands across the province, which the Yugoslav authorities contained with force. Emigration of non-Albanians increased and ethnic tensions between Albanians and non-Albanians greatly increased, with violent inner-attacks, especially aimed at the Yugoslavian officials and representatives of authority.
The 1985
Đorđe Martinović incident and the 1987
Paraćin massacre contributed to the atmosphere of ethnic tensions.
In 1988 and 1989, Serbian authorities engaged in a series of moves known as the
anti-bureaucratic revolution, which resulted in the sacking of province leadership in November 1988 and a significant reduction of autonomy of Kosovo in March 1989.
On 28 June 1989, Milošević led a mass celebration of the 600th anniversary of a 1389
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
. Milošević's
Gazimestan speech, which marked the beginning of his political prominence, was an important part of the events that contributed to the ongoing crisis in Kosovo. The ensuing
Serbian nationalist movement was also a contributing factor to the
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
.
The status of Kosovo was returned to the pre-1968
Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, Косово и Метохиja, Kosovo i Metohija; sq, Kosova dhe Metohija), commonly known as Kosovo and abbreviated to Kosmet or KiM, is an autonomous province defined by the constitut ...
by the new
Constitution of the Republic of Serbia
The current Constitution of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, / ), also known as Mitrovdan Constitution ( sr, / ) was adopted in 2006, replacing the previous constitution dating from 1990. The adoption of new constitution became necessary in 2006 ...
, adopted on 28 September 1990.
The
Kosovo War
The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the wa ...
followed with Kosovo coming under
United Nations administration in 1999. Later, in February 2008, Kosovo
declared its independence from Serbia, while Serbia continues to claim it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
Demographics
![Kosovo1981Ethnic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Kosovo1981Ethnic.gif)
According to the 1981 census, the one taken during the period between 1974 and 1990, the population of the province numbered 1,584,441 people, including:
* 1,226,736
Albanians (77.4%)
* 236,526
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
(14.93%)
* 58,562
ethnic Muslims
Muslims ( Serbo-Croatian Latin and sl, Muslimani, Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic and mk, Муслимани) is a designation for a Serbo-Croatian speaking Muslims, inhabiting mostly the territory of the former Yugoslav republics. The term, adopted ...
(3.7%)
* 34,126
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
(2.2%)
* 12,513
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
(0.8%)
* 8,717
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
(0.6%)
* 2,676
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs or Yugoslavians ( Bosnian and Croatian: ''Jugoslaveni'', Serbian and Macedonian ''Jugosloveni''/Југословени; sl, Jugoslovani) is an identity that was originally designed to refer to a united South Slavic people. It has b ...
(0.2%)
* 4,584 others (0.2%)
Politics
The only political party in the province was
League of Communists of Kosovo
The League of Communists of Kosovo ( sh, Savez komunista Kosova, Савез комуниста Косова, SKK; al, Lidhja Komuniste Kosovare) was the Kosovo branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia f ...
, which was part of the
League of Communists of Serbia
, logo =
, colorcode =
, leader = President of the League of Communists of Serbia
, predecessor = Provincial Committee for Serbia of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia
, merged =
, successor = SPS
, ...
and part of the
League of Communists of Yugoslavia.
Political leaders
Prime Ministers
Chairman of the Executive Council of the People's Committee of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo:
*
Fadil Hoxha
Fadil Hoxha ( Serbian: Фадиљ Хоџа, ''Fadilj Hodža''; 15 March 1916 – 21 April 2001) was a Yugoslavian ethnic Albanian communist revolutionary and politician from Kosovo. He was a member of the Communist party and fought in the Yugosl ...
, 1945–1953
Chairmen of the Executive Council of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo:
*
Fadil Hoxha
Fadil Hoxha ( Serbian: Фадиљ Хоџа, ''Fadilj Hodža''; 15 March 1916 – 21 April 2001) was a Yugoslavian ethnic Albanian communist revolutionary and politician from Kosovo. He was a member of the Communist party and fought in the Yugosl ...
, 1953–1963
*
Ali Shukri, 1963 – May 1967
*
Ilija Vakić
Ilija Vakić ( sr-cyr, Илија Вакић; born 30 July 1932) is a Serbian retired politician who served as Chairman of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within SFR Yugoslavia from May 1967 to May 1974. , May 1967 – May 1974
*
Bogoljub Nedeljković, May 1974 – May 1978
*
Bahri Oruçi, May 1978 – May 1980
*
Riza Sapunxhiu, May 1980 – May 1982
*
Imer Pula Imer may refer to:
People
* Adam Imer (born 1989) is a Brazilian field hockey player
* Teresa Imer, also known as Teresa Cornelys (1723–1797), Italian operatic soprano
* Édouard-Auguste Imer (1820–1881), French painter
Places
* Imer, Trentin ...
, May 1982 – 5 May 1984
*
Ljubomir Neđo Borković
Lubomir, Lyubomir, Lyubomyr, Lubomír, Ľubomír, or Ljubomir is a Slavic given name meaning lub (love) and mir (peace, world). Feminine forms are: Lubomira and Ljubica.
Nicknames
Lubor, Luboš, Luborek, Lubošek, Borek, Lubo, Ľubo, Ljubo, ...
, 5 May 1984 – May 1986
*
Namzi Mustafa, May 1986 – 1987
*
Kaqusha Jashari
Kaqusha Jashari (' Fejzullahu; born 16 August 1946) is a Kosovo Albanian politician and engineer by profession. She is a member of the Assembly of Kosovo on the Democratic Party of Kosovo list since 2007.
From 1986 until November 1988, she and ...
, 1987 – May 1989
*
Nikolla Shkreli, May 1989 – 1989
*
Daut Jashanica, 1989
*
Jusuf Zejnullahu
Jusuf Zejnullahu (born 1944 in Democratic Federal Yugoslavia) was a Kosovar politician.
Background and early life
He was active in Kosovo politics throughout the 1980s, and occupied a number of important economic positions within the SAP Kosovo ...
, 4 December 1989 – 5 July 1990
Presidents
Chairman of the People's Liberation Committee of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo:
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Mehmed Hoxha
Mehmed (modern Turkish: Mehmet) is the most common Bosnian and Turkish form of the Arabic name Muhammad ( ar, محمد) (''Muhammed'' and ''Muhammet'' are also used, though considerably less) and gains its significance from being the name of Muh ...
, 1 January 1944 – 11 July 1945
Presidents of the Assembly of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo:
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Fadil Hoxha
Fadil Hoxha ( Serbian: Фадиљ Хоџа, ''Fadilj Hodža''; 15 March 1916 – 21 April 2001) was a Yugoslavian ethnic Albanian communist revolutionary and politician from Kosovo. He was a member of the Communist party and fought in the Yugosl ...
, 11 July 1945 – 20 February 1953; 24 June 1967 – 7 May 1969
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Ismet Saqiri, 20 February 1953 – 12 December 1953
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Đorđije Pajković
Đorđije "Đoko" Pajković (25 June 1917, Lužac, Berane, Kingdom of Montenegro – 17 January 1980, Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia) was a Yugoslav Montenegrin politician.
He was the leader of the League of Communists of Montenegro from Ju ...
, 12 December 1953 – 5 May 1956
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Pavle Jovićević, 5 May 1956 – 4 April 1960
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Dusan Mugoša, 4 April 1960 – 18 June 1963
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Stanoje Akšić Stanoje (Cyrillic script: Станоје) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. The name may refer to:
* Stanoje Glavaš (1763–1815), Serbian military commander
* Stanoje Jocić (born 1932), Serbian footballer
*Stanoje Stanojević
Stanoje ...
, 18 June 1963 – 24 June 1967
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Ilaz Kurteshi, 7 May 1969 – May 1974
Presidents of Presidency of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo:
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Xhavit Nimani, March 1974 – 1981
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Ali Shukriu
Ali Shukriu (Serbian: Али Шукрија, ''Ali Šukrija''; 12 September 1919 – 6 January 2005) was a political figure of Kosovo, during its period as an autonomous province of Yugoslavia. He served as the 2nd Chairmen of the Executive Coun ...
, August 1981 – 1982
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Kolë Shiroka, 1982 – May 1983
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Shefqet Nebih Gashi, May 1983 – May 1985
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Branislav Skembarević, May 1985 – May 1986
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Bajram Selani, May 1986 – May 1988
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Remzi Kolgeci, May 1988 – 5 April 1989
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Hysen Kajdomçaj, 27 June 1989 – 11 April 1990
See also
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Political status of Kosovo
The political status of Kosovo, also known as the Kosovo question, is the subject of a long-running political and territorial dispute between the Serbian (and previously, Yugoslav) government and the Government of Kosovo, stemming from the br ...
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Socialist Republic of Serbia
, life_span = 1944–1992
, status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia
, p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
, flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg
, p2 ...
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Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
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Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, Косово и Метохиja, Kosovo i Metohija; sq, Kosova dhe Metohija), commonly known as Kosovo and abbreviated to Kosmet or KiM, is an autonomous province defined by the constitut ...
References
Notes
Sources
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External links
Constitution of Kosovo (1974)
{{Authority control
Communism in Kosovo
Communism in Serbia
Modern history of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
Former subdivisions of Serbia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
Autonomous provinces
Yugoslav Serbia
Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija
1945 establishments in Kosovo
1945 establishments in Yugoslavia
1945 establishments in Serbia
1990 disestablishments in Yugoslavia
1990 disestablishments in Kosovo
1990 disestablishments in Serbia
tr:Kosova (Sırbistan)