prizren

Updated: June 8, 2025

When I arrived there on October 6th all was ready and waiting. Another proof that the "four days' mobilization" tale is an error. King Nikola had made up his outstanding quarrel with his relatives, and the Royal Voyvodas, Marko, Sharko, Bozho, and Gjuro all arrived. On the night of the 8th all sang: "Let me see Prizren!" There was wild excitement. No one mentioned the Serbs.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

Excitement in the town was further heated by the arrival of the French Minister from Belgrade, who interviewed the newly-arrived Prenk Bib Doda, and the wildest things were reported and believed, even that England, Germany, and Austria had combined to crush the Slavs. Folk discussed which Power would land there. Prizren was said to have declared itself independent.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

This Nikola refused unless the said lands were definitely partitioned into "spheres of interest" and Prizren were included in his own. He was already determined to occupy the throne of Stefan Dushan. The two ministers who accompanied Alexander supported this claim.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

Bulgaria would beat back the Turks, and Ferdinand and Nikita share the bulk of the peninsula. The Montenegrins recked nothing of the Serbs, but they miserably miscalculated. The Serbs reached Prizren before they did. It is possible that Bulgaria and Montenegro, in fact, forced on the war. Both knew they would gain nothing by waiting for Russia.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

The Serbs everywhere were in very much of a minority, and their headmen the Bishop of Prizren, the Archimandrite of Grachanitza, the master of the Serb theological school at Prizren, and others frankly lamented the Turkish revolution, and looked on it only as a frustration of all their schemes.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

Whatever the heads of the land knew, the rank and file had confidently expected Russian intervention. Only by dragging in Austria could Russia's hand be forced. The Serbs endeavoured to goad Austria into action. News reached us that they had imprisoned and maltreated Prochaska, the Austrian Consul in Prizren, and Montenegro's delight and expectation were immense.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

Mourning added to the general gloom, for the two infant sons of Prince Mirko, the only direct heirs to the throne, had died within a month or two of each other of tubercular meningitis. Baby Stefan had been playfully called Stefan Dushan II, with the hope that he would reign at Prizren and he was dead. All hope of a child to Prince Danilo had been given up; much had died with Baby Stefan.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

And also for the fact that Rada's election had the support too of Vuko Radonitch the Gubernator. Vuko hoped doubtless to obtain the upper hand over such a young rival. Rada, with no further training, was at once consecrated as Vladika Petar II by the Bishop of Prizren and this strange consecration was confirmed later at Petersburg, whither the young Petrovitch duly went.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle

The Patriarchia had been persuaded to appoint one Dochitch, a Montenegrin of Moracha, to the Bishopric of Prizren, in place of Nicephor, dismissed for drunkenness and other inappropriate conduct. Montenegro triumphed, and looked on Prizren as hers. The Serbs were furious; the priests of Kosovo refused to recognize him, and had telegraphed to the two priests of Scutari and Vraka to do so, too.

M. E. (Mary Edith) Durham - Twenty Years Of Balkan Tangle