Battle of Lumë

The Battle of Lumë, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Kolesjan,^[1] refers to the Albanian revolt and the Serbian Third Army counter-offensive in November and December 1912. The Albanians resisted Serbian occupation as a result of massacres and the Serbian presence was aimed at securing the strategic corridor through the Lumë region towards the Adriatic Sea during the First Balkan War.^[2]

The Serbian operations were a strategic component of Serbia's effort to secure a military corridor to the Adriatic Sea. Facing rugged terrain, extreme winter conditions, and guerrilla resistance from local tribes, Serbian forces were driven from the region. However, later returned and successfully conquered the region, established a formal administration, and maintained control until the diplomatic withdrawal in late 1913.^[3]

During the operations and the following occupation, the Serbian government conducted systematic massacres, rapes, destruction of villages, and other atrocities against the civilian population that devastated the region.^[4] The war crimes were part of a larger campaign to ethnically cleanse the region of Albanians.^[5] Atrocities in Luma were likened to colonial era genocidal campaigns.^[4]

In early November 1912, following the victory at Kumanovo, the Serbian High Command ordered the Third Army, under General Božidar Janković, to reach the Adriatic coast. The Luma region was of critical importance as it sat on the flank of the main advance. To pacify the region and ensure the safety of the supply lines, the Serbian command deployed specialized detachments to disarm the local population and suppress any insurgent activity.^[6]

The initial entrance of Luma by Serbian forces was accompanied by killings and the burning of houses. The conditions imposed on the population prompted a local rebellion. On 15 November the region was in a state of war which continued for three days.^[7] The rebellion was supported by reinforcements from Dibra and other regions (like Opoja and Gora)^[7] led by Elez Isufi, Isuf Xhelili, Xhafer Doda, Ramadan Zaskoci, and Islam Spahiu.^[8]

During the uprising, Albanian rebels prevented the Serbian army from accessing the Adriatic Sea.^[2] The resistance was successful as the Albanian forces utilized local terrain to their advantage.^[9] The Serbian forces were defeated and chased back into Prizren by the rebels.^[10]

According to a contemporary report by Aqif Pasha Elbasani, the rebels managed to kill almost 6 battalions and drove the rest out of the region.^[7] However, according to Albanian military historian Sali Onuzi, 6 battallions (approximately 6,500 Serbian soldiers) were present during the uprising (November 15–18) and suffered between 2,000 and 3,000 casualties. Figures for the number of Albanian rebels that were present in Luma vary from over 2,000 to 4,000, but Onuzi finds 5,000 to be the most realistic number.^[10]

According to Leo Freundlich, after the Albanian rebels prevented the Serbian army from accessing the Adriatic, general Janković enacted a scorched earth policy, ordering soldiers to continue with "extreme severity."^[2] Serbian forces would soon return with a force of over 20,000 to quell the uprising.^[3]

After encountering organized tribal resistance near Bicaj, the Serbian command quickly escalated the operation by deploying the main forces of the Šumadija Division I.^[6] The decisive phase of the operation began on 18 November 1912.

On 19 November, this unit engaged Albanian forces on the Borje–Globočica ridge. Using superior artillery (8th Mountain Battery), Serbian forces broke the insurgent lines, forcing them to retreat in disorder toward Shishtevac and Novo Selo. On 20 November, the 12th Infantry Regiment launched a concentrated attack near Mount Koritnik. Supported by heavy artillery and disciplined rifle fire, Serbian troops shattered the resistance by 14:00. The insurgents retreated toward Podbreg and the Vezir's Bridge, while Serbian forces secured the right bank of the Luma river.^[11]

By 21 November, the "Luma Detachment" was officially formed to consolidate these gains and continue the advance southwards.^[6] Despite the onset of a brutal winter with heavy snow and extreme cold, the Serbian army continued its methodical advance. From November 26–30 Serbian columns moved along both banks of the Black Drin, reaching the Veleshnica river, which was considered the heart of the rebellion. From December 4–6 Serbian forces conducted a thorough disarmament of the Luma and Zadrimlja regions. On 6 December the Luma units reached the Grama river and established contact with the Morava Brigade I, which had been advancing from Debar.

This maneuver effectively encircled the remaining insurgent pockets. Pressed from the north, east, and south, the tribal leaders were forced to surrender and lay down their arms.^[11] Contemporary Serbian reports noted that the army "defeated the Arnauts [Albanians] in Luma" and successfully linked up with Montenegrin forces, subsequently continuing the march toward the coast without losing operational cohesion.^[12]

The successful conclusion of the Luma operations in December 1912 allowed the Serbian Third Army to solidify its control over northern Albania. A military administration was established with its headquarters in Bicaj. To ensure lasting control, hostages were taken from prominent local families and sent to Prizren as a guarantee against further uprisings. The route to the Drač County remained fully secured, fulfilling the primary strategic objective of the Serbian High Command for the Albanian theatre of the war.^[6]

The campaign and subsequent pacification were marked by severe reprisals against the civilian population. Prominent Serbian socialist Dimitrije Tucović, who participated in the campaign, and international reports described these events as a "scorched earth" policy aimed at suppressing future revolts. The Serbian army engaged in acts of systematic mass murder and rape in what has been described by Mark Levene as a "localized genocide."^[4]

Furthermore, based on the report of the International Commission on the Balkan Wars, a Serbian soldier stated that the Luma region "no longer exists" and villages in the region were completely eradicated, with "literally not one" man left alive among several villages. Subsequently, the International Commission concluded that the conduct of the Serbian and Montenegrin armies intended to completely alter the ethnic structure of the Albanian-inhabited regions, though maintained that "orders of extermination" were not given.^[5]

Robert Elsie notes that while the region was conquered and remained under Serbian military rule until 1913, the local population suffered heavy losses during the suppression of the uprising.^[3] Serbia withdrew its forces from the region in late 1913 only after the Treaty of London.