Authored by Petrit Latifi

The Role of Serbian Orthodox Nationalism in Anti-Albanian Violence

Throughout history, religion and nationalism have often been intertwined, sometimes fueling ethnic hatred and justifying acts of violence. One of the most brutal examples of this occurred in 1912 during the Balkan Wars, when the Serbian Orthodox Church played a significant role in legitimizing and encouraging violence against Albanians. This period saw mass killings, forced expulsions, and the destruction of Albanian communities—all under the guise of religious and nationalistic fervor.

The Serbian Orthodox Church and Nationalism

The Serbian Orthodox Church has long been a key pillar of Serbian national identity. For centuries, it has promoted the idea of a “Greater Serbia,” in which Orthodox Serbs were seen as the rightful rulers of the Balkans. This ideology inherently positioned Albanians—who are predominantly Muslim and Catholic—as obstacles to Serbian expansion. Religious leaders, instead of preaching peace and coexistence, often inflamed ethnic tensions, portraying Albanians as enemies of Christianity and Serbia itself.

The Balkan Wars and the targeting of Albanians

In 1912, as Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria launched a military campaign against the Ottoman Empire, Serbian forces committed widespread atrocities against Albanian civilians. Reports from international observers documented mass executions, rapes, and villages burned to the ground. One of the most disturbing aspects of this violence was the involvement of the Serbian Orthodox Church in blessing the troops before they carried out their massacres.

Orthodox priests were often seen alongside the Serbian military, providing spiritual justification for the extermination of Albanians. Church leaders openly supported the ethnic cleansing campaigns, reinforcing the belief that eradicating Albanians was not just a military necessity but a divine duty. The imagery of priests blessing Serbian flags and soldiers before they went on to commit war crimes serves as a haunting reminder of how religious institutions can be manipulated to justify genocide.

The legacy of hatred

The events of 1912 set a precedent for future Serbian aggression against Albanians. The same religious-nationalist rhetoric that fueled the massacres during the Balkan Wars reappeared in later conflicts, including the Serbian campaigns against Albanians in Kosovo during the 1990s. The Serbian Orthodox Church continued to play a role in supporting Serbian expansionism, often turning a blind eye to—or even endorsing—the mass killings and displacement of Albanians.

Despite historical evidence of these atrocities, there has been little accountability. The Serbian Orthodox Church has never officially apologized for its role in legitimizing ethnic hatred, and Serbian nationalist circles continue to glorify their past conquests. Meanwhile, Albanian communities continue to live with the scars of these historical injustices, fighting for recognition and justice for the victims of Serbian brutality.

The involvement of the Serbian Orthodox Church in anti-Albanian violence is a dark chapter in Balkan history that cannot be ignored. By intertwining religious identity with nationalism, the Church helped justify ethnic cleansing and fueled a cycle of hatred that persists to this day. Understanding this history is crucial in addressing the root causes of Balkan conflicts and ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.