“Taraboshi e Bërdica, po bajnë shkinat kukavica” (in Tarabosh and Bërdice, the Slavic women are wailing) is a verse from an old Albanian song about the the Shkodra War of 1912-1913, where one of the bloodiest battles took place. It was the so-called “Bërdica Slaughterhouse” for which three days of mourning was held in Serbia and Montenegro. Thousands of Serbo-Montenegrin soldiers were killed in this battle trying to invade city.

Similar to the disastrous French losses against the Germans in Chemin des Dames 1917, the Serbian and Montenegrin invasion of Shkodër in 1912-1913 was also catastrophic. Thousands of Serbs and Montenegrins assaulted the position of Bërdice, Bardanjoll and Tarabosh positions and were killed.

When Serbo-Montenegrin soldiers invaded Shkodër, about 10,000 Montenegrins soldiers died. Equating Albanians with Turks, Serbian army enacted a revenge on the population. The city was looted, and civilians (including the sick and wounded and women and children, many of whom were Christian) were massacred. In late 1913, international pressure resulted in the withdrawal of Serbian forces from Shkodër; according to the city’s Austro-Hungarian consul, Serb troops killed about 600 Albanians.

Albanians of Shkodër during the Montenegrin siege, 1912.

The effect of an 8-inch shell after striking the ground in Shkodër.

Results of Montenegrin bombing

A Catholic cathedral destroyed by the Montenegrin siege.

Tarabosh mountain

Montenegrin invasion troops climbing the Tarabosh mountain.

The Great Powers in the city during the Montenegrin invasion

Photos from the city of Shkodër, 1912-1913.

References

Photos from Albanian Historical Society.

Information taken from “AKADEMIA E STUDIMEVE ALBANOLOGJIKE. Instituti i Historisë LUFTA E SHKODRË 1912-1913. Ditar anonim. Përgatit CHASAN BELLOF. “