History of Kosovo

Illyrians are historically known as ethnos in the Balkans starting from the neolith (XII Century B.C.)
Dardania was one of many Illyrian kingdoms. On of the famous and successful kings of Dardania was Bardhyl. Dardania in its best economic and military development was spread in the whole territory of Kosovo, in the largest part of the Morava River flow in Serbia and on the eastern part of nowadays Macedonia, so it was surrounded with the kingdom of Macedonia of Philip II, father of the Alexander the Great.

Roman Empire
Dardania as well as the rest of the ancient Illyria were under the Roman occupation in III Century B.C, whereas Dardania becomes one of the Roman Empire provinces with ancient Scupi (nowadays Skopje) as the center. With the breakup of the Roman Empire into two, Dardania belonged to Eastern Roman Empire with its center in Constantinople, later known as the Bysanth.

Balkan Wars
Wars for independence from Ottoman Empire were organized in Kosovo during 1910-1912, from Kosovans itself and without any support from any third power.
Proclamation of independent Albania from the Ismail Qemali Interim Government in 1912 in Vlora and the request of this government from the London Conference was that Kosovo territory become part of this new state. During the Balkan wars Kosovo was divided Montenegro and Serbia with the river flow of White River.

World War II
Since Kosovo was also occupied by the Nazi-fascist forces, noble Albanian leadership supported the installed Italian government.
After the end of the World War II, Yugoslav Communist Party Committee in Kosovo under the presence of United Kingdom representatives in the village of Bujane (1944 � 1945) organized the Conference which issued the resolution for proclamation of Kosovo and Albania unification. In YCAL (Yugoslav Council for Antifascist Liberation) where the fundaments of Communist Yugoslavia were established, it was decided that each nation determines for its fate, up to the right for separation and unification with other nations.

Communist Yugoslavia
After the liberation form the fascist occupation, Kosovo was re-annexed from the partisan army and Constitution of Yugoslav People Republic (1946).
During the period of 1950 -1970, a large number of Kosovo Albanians were forced to emigrate in Anadol of Turkey as a result of the Tito-Qupurli agreement.
After the students demonstration at the end of 60�s of 20th Century for allowing the free use of the flag and constitutional amendments of year 1972 the path to approval of 1974 Constitution, whereas Kosovo was an equal autonomous unit with the other constitutive units of Socialistic Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Repressive System
In 1981 the students and workers movement manifested the request for Kosovo citizenship within the Federation as an equal unit with the rest of Republics. This movement increased aggressively the Serbian nationalist government which ended with the abolishment of Kosovo Parliament and elimination of the Constitution. With this act, Serbia did the revocation of Kosovo's autonomy in 1989, while Kosovans (government in exile) on the other hand on May 24, 1992 declared independence and Ka�anik Constitution.

Permanent repressive system of Milosevic government exaggerated violence with genocidal measures, resulted with armed resistance and organizing of guerilla units of KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) with its first attacks on May 1993, NATO forces intervention for 78 days, starting from March 24, 1999 and placement of Kosovo under the protectorate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 from June 10, 1999, at which point Kosovo is at present.