During the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, the Serbian and Montenegrin armies presented their military campaigns as acts of “liberation” from Ottoman rule. However, for the Albanian population of the Sanxhak and Berane region, this so-called liberation often meant violence, forced displacement, and the destruction of their communities. Foreign press illustrations from 1912 celebrated the entry of the Montenegrin army into Berane as a victory, showing soldiers carrying the national flag of the Kingdom of Montenegro. Yet behind these triumphant images was a darker reality for the Albanian inhabitants.

Before the Balkan Wars, the Sanxhak region had a significant Albanian population, with many villages and towns shaped by Albanian culture, language, and traditions. When Montenegrin and Serbian forces took control of these territories, many Albanians were expelled from their homes, their villages were burned, and their lands were taken over. Those who remained often faced strong pressure to assimilate, losing their identity through political, cultural, and social pressure.

Berane became one of the symbolic examples of this transformation. Once home to a large Albanian population, the town and surrounding areas were dramatically changed after the Montenegrin conquest. The removal of Albanians from Berane reflected a broader policy of reshaping the ethnic and political map of the region. For many Albanian families, this meant becoming refugees (Muhajirs), forced to seek safety in Kosovo, Albania, or Ottoman lands.

In Montenegrin history this “liberation” is portrayed using euphemisms:

“Montenegrins enter liberated Berane after victorious battles in 1912.
Illustration from the foreign press, published in the fall of 1912, showing the Montenegrin army with the national flag of the Kingdom of Montenegro entering liberated Berane after victorious battles.”

The bitter truth (from FM Images Albania):

“SANXHAK, BERANE, 1912/13: Berane emptied of Albanians – The Sanxhak before the Balkan Wars was inhabited by Albanians, while in 1912 most Albanians were expelled from the Sanxhak and the others were assimilated.”