In April 1941, the territories of Ulqin, Plava, Gucia, Rozhaja, and most of present-day Kosovo—excluding Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Podujevo, and part of the municipality of Gjilan—were annexed to Albania, along with Tetovo, Gostivar, Kercove, Dibra, Struga, and Resen.

In September 1943, Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Podujevo, Tutin, and Novi Pazar were also incorporated. In September 1944, Xheme Gostivar, commander of the Second Prizren League Forces, annexed Skopje, Kumanovo, Preshevo, and Bujanovac to Albania.

On November 17, 1944, the communists overthrew the government in Tirana, and by November 28, they had reached Novi Pazar, handing over Kosovo and other regions to Serbia. On July 10, 1945, in Prizren, under the presence of partisan forces, an Assembly was convened where it was decided that Kosovo and other areas would secede from Albania and join Serbia, and thus Yugoslavia.

Written by Prof. Dr. Nexhmedin Spahiu, The Ottoman Empire and the Albanians