Black Society for Salvation
Encyclopedia
The Black Society for Salvation was a secret Albanian
nationalistic society established at the beginning of 1911. Its main task was to organize uprisings in southern Albania
struggling for the unification of the four Ottoman
vilayets with the substantial Albanian
population (Kosovo Vilayet, Scutari Vilayet, Monastir Vilayet and Janina Vilayet) into one autonomous political unit with its own government and parliament. The members of the society considered the armed rebellions as legitimate means for achieving their aims.
were organized mostly in the territory of the Kosovo vilayet. Isa Boletini
, one of the leaders of the Albanian insurgents in Kosovo vilayet, wrote a proclamation on March 23, 1911 to the Albanians in the south to join the Albanians from the Kosovo vilayet in their uprising. He sent his emissaries on April 15, 1911 to pass his proclamation to the southern insurgents. One of the main tasks of Black Society for Salvation was to organize uprisings in the southern territories. The members of the society organized a meeting in Kolonjë
. The meeting was attended by the emissaries from the Kosovo vilayet who brought the proclamation of Isa Boletini. The leaders of the society decided in that meeting to organize groups of armed rebels and to launch the uprising
in the south in early June 1911. The society managed to establish committees in several towns including Korçë
, Elbasan
, Debar
and Ohrid
, but it failed to maintain control over them because each committee acted on its own direction.
During 1911 the Ottoman representatives managed to deal with the leaders of Albanian rebels separately, because they were not united and lacked central control. The Ottoman Empire first managed to pacify the northern Albanian malësorë (highlanders) from Scutari Vilayet reaching a compromise during a meeting in Podgorica
. In order to resolve the problems in the south, the Ottoman representatives invited Albanian southern leaders to a meeting on August 18, 1911. They promised to meet most of their demands, like general amnesty
, the opening of Albanian language schools, and the restriction that military service was to be performed only in the territory of the vilayets with substantial Albanian population. Other demands included requiring administrative officers to learn the Albanian language
, and that the possession of weapons would be permitted.
When the Albanian revolt
broke out in 1912 the Black Society for Salvation issued a proclamation to the Albanians from the south of Albania
and the Monastir inviting them to participate in the revolt.
broke out, some members of the society met in Skopje
on October 14, 1912, and composed the declaration which was delivered to the consuls of the Great Powers
on October 16. With this declaration they informed the Great Powers that Albanians were going to go against the Balkan allies
not to protect the Ottoman Empire, but to protect territorial integrity of the Albanian vilayet
. They decided to send emissaries to malësorë in northern Albania
, to organize the resistance in the whole region and to call for an Albanian national assembly. However, the fighting during the war prevented the emissaries from completing their tasks.
Regardless of the decisions of the Black Society for Salvation, it was obvious that Albanian
rebels societies did not have enough members and lacked the means to reach their aims without additional support. Ismail Qemali
–who authored Albania's Declaration of Independence
a month and a half later–realized that the fate of Albania would be decided in Vienna
.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
nationalistic society established at the beginning of 1911. Its main task was to organize uprisings in southern Albania
Albania (toponym)
The toponym Albania may indicate several different geographical regions: a country in the Balkans; an ancient land in the Caucasus; as well as Scotland, Albania being a Latinization of a Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
struggling for the unification of the four Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
vilayets with the substantial Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
population (Kosovo Vilayet, Scutari Vilayet, Monastir Vilayet and Janina Vilayet) into one autonomous political unit with its own government and parliament. The members of the society considered the armed rebellions as legitimate means for achieving their aims.
Albanian revolts in 1911 and 1912
The Albanian revolts in the period before the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
were organized mostly in the territory of the Kosovo vilayet. Isa Boletini
Isa Boletini
Isa Boletini was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerilla fighter, born in the village of Boletin near Mitroviça, Ottoman Empire...
, one of the leaders of the Albanian insurgents in Kosovo vilayet, wrote a proclamation on March 23, 1911 to the Albanians in the south to join the Albanians from the Kosovo vilayet in their uprising. He sent his emissaries on April 15, 1911 to pass his proclamation to the southern insurgents. One of the main tasks of Black Society for Salvation was to organize uprisings in the southern territories. The members of the society organized a meeting in Kolonjë
Kolonjë District
The Kolonjë District , is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County. It has a population of 14,318 . The district has an area of 805 km². It is in the south-east of the country, and its capital is Ersekë. Other towns in this district include Leskovik to the south...
. The meeting was attended by the emissaries from the Kosovo vilayet who brought the proclamation of Isa Boletini. The leaders of the society decided in that meeting to organize groups of armed rebels and to launch the uprising
Uprising
-In music:* Uprising * Uprising , album by Concord Dawn* Uprising , album by Entombed* Uprising , album by Universal Poplab...
in the south in early June 1911. The society managed to establish committees in several towns including Korçë
Korçë
Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
, Elbasan
Elbasan
Elbasan is a city in central Albania. It is located on the Shkumbin River in the District of Elbasan and the County of Elbasan, at...
, Debar
Debar
Debar is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, near the border with Albania, on the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality.-Geography:...
and Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
, but it failed to maintain control over them because each committee acted on its own direction.
During 1911 the Ottoman representatives managed to deal with the leaders of Albanian rebels separately, because they were not united and lacked central control. The Ottoman Empire first managed to pacify the northern Albanian malësorë (highlanders) from Scutari Vilayet reaching a compromise during a meeting in Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
. In order to resolve the problems in the south, the Ottoman representatives invited Albanian southern leaders to a meeting on August 18, 1911. They promised to meet most of their demands, like general amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
, the opening of Albanian language schools, and the restriction that military service was to be performed only in the territory of the vilayets with substantial Albanian population. Other demands included requiring administrative officers to learn the Albanian language
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, and that the possession of weapons would be permitted.
When the Albanian revolt
Albanian Revolt of 1912
The Albanian Revolt of 1912 was one of many Albanian revolts in the Ottoman Empire and lasted from January until August 1912. After a series of successes, Albanian revolutionaries managed to capture the city of Skopje, the administrative centre of Kosovo vilayet within the Ottoman rule...
broke out in 1912 the Black Society for Salvation issued a proclamation to the Albanians from the south of Albania
Albania (toponym)
The toponym Albania may indicate several different geographical regions: a country in the Balkans; an ancient land in the Caucasus; as well as Scotland, Albania being a Latinization of a Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
and the Monastir inviting them to participate in the revolt.
First Balkan War
When the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
broke out, some members of the society met in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
on October 14, 1912, and composed the declaration which was delivered to the consuls of the Great Powers
Great power
A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength and diplomatic and cultural influence which may cause small powers to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions...
on October 16. With this declaration they informed the Great Powers that Albanians were going to go against the Balkan allies
Balkan League
The Balkan League was an alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Balkan states of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the time still controlled much of the Balkan peninsula...
not to protect the Ottoman Empire, but to protect territorial integrity of the Albanian vilayet
Albanian Vilayet
The Albanian Vilayet was a projected vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in the western Balkan Peninsula, which was to include the four Ottoman vilayets with substantial ethnic Albanian populations: Kosovo Vilayet, Scutari Vilayet, Monastir Vilayet and Janina Vilayet...
. They decided to send emissaries to malësorë in northern Albania
Albania (toponym)
The toponym Albania may indicate several different geographical regions: a country in the Balkans; an ancient land in the Caucasus; as well as Scotland, Albania being a Latinization of a Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
, to organize the resistance in the whole region and to call for an Albanian national assembly. However, the fighting during the war prevented the emissaries from completing their tasks.
Regardless of the decisions of the Black Society for Salvation, it was obvious that Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
rebels societies did not have enough members and lacked the means to reach their aims without additional support. Ismail Qemali
Ismail Qemali
Ismail Qemal Bej Vlora or commonly Ismail Qemali and in Turkish İsmail Kemal Bey or İsmail Kemal Vlora , was a distinguished leader of the Albanian national movement, founder of the modern Albanian state and its first head of state and government.-Life:He was born in Avlonya to a noble family...
–who authored Albania's Declaration of Independence
Albanian Declaration of Independence
The Albanian Declaration of Independence is the declaration of independence of the Albanian Vilayet from the Ottoman Empire. Albania was proclaimed independent in Vlorë on November 28, 1912.-Background:...
a month and a half later–realized that the fate of Albania would be decided in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.