The Political Dimensions of Serbian Administration toward Albanians in Kosovo, with Special Focus on the District of Gjilan (September 1913–June 1914): Between Pressure and Survival

The recognition by the Great Powers, through the Conference of Ambassadors in London (1912–1913), of the occupation and annexation of Kosovo and other Albanian-inhabited territories by the Kingdom of Serbia marked a turning point in the consolidation of Serbian state authority in the territories referred to as “New Serbia,” granting official Belgrade international legitimacy for the extension of its sovereignty over areas inhabited predominantly by Albanians. This study examines developments within this new juridical and political context, in which the Serbian state acquired broader opportunities to implement administrative, military, economic, social, property-related, and colonization policies toward the non-Serb population, particularly Albanians. The article analyzes the formulation and implementation of state policies aimed at demographic reconfiguration in Kosovo, with special focus on the District of Gjilan between September 1913 and June 1914. Drawing upon archival documents, diplomatic correspondence, official reports, demographic statistics, contemporary press materials, and relevant historiographical literature, the study assesses the consequences of these policies, which were reflected in political and economic pressure, demographic transformations, changes in the ethnic structure, and various forms of survival strategies among the Albanian population.