The 81st anniversary of the 1945 annexation of Kosovo by Serbia marks a pivotal moment in the region’s modern history. Following the end of the Second World War, Kosovo was incorporated into the Serbian republic within the newly established Yugoslav federation, a move that remains the subject of differing historical and political interpretations.
After the reoccupation and incorporation of Kosovo in 1945, and with the establishment of a closed border between Albania and Kosovo, the status of Kosovo and other Albanian-populated territories within former Yugoslavia remained unresolved for many Albanians.
During the Prizren Assembly, held from July 8–10, 1945, Kosovo was formally incorporated into Serbia within the Yugoslav federation. The assembly adopted a resolution stating that Kosovo was joining the Federal Republic of Serbia “by the will of its population.” The decision was subsequently approved by the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia on July 23, 1945, and by the Serbian Assembly on September 1, 1945, after which Yugoslav authorities considered the issue legally settled.
However, many Albanian historians and political representatives argue that this outcome contradicted earlier wartime commitments made during the anti-fascist resistance, which had promised the principle of self-determination based on the will of the people. They contend that these commitments were not honored and that individuals who advocated for Kosovo’s right to self-determination were later persecuted, imprisoned, or executed by the Yugoslav authorities.
The resolution adopted at the Prizren Assembly declared that Kosovo had voluntarily joined Serbia within the Yugoslav federation. Critics of the decision argue that it did not reflect the demographic reality of Kosovo, where Albanians constituted the overwhelming majority of the population, and that it failed to resolve the broader national question.
According to this historical interpretation, rather than closing the issue, the 1945 decision laid the foundation for decades of political tension, contributing to future disputes over Kosovo’s status and the broader Albanian question in the Balkans.
The decisions of the Prizren Assembly also prompted strong opposition from Albanian nationalist groups in Kosovo, who rejected the incorporation and viewed the process as imposed rather than freely determined.
