The National History Museum commemorated today the 143rd anniversary of the Battle of Shtime and Slivova.

This is considered the most important battle that the army of the Albanian League of Prizren fought on April 18, 1881 against the Ottoman troops. Nearly 4,000 Albanian volunteers faced 20 battalions of Ottoman Army, commanded by Dervish Pasha, with about 15,000 soldiers and officers equipped with the best weaponry of the time.

Ottoman forces took Skopje at the end of March and marched towards Ferizaj to subjugate Fushë-Kosova. Albanian forces headed by Mic Sokoli and Ali Ibra took up positions near Shtime, while another part near the village of Slivova. The fighting took place from April 18 to 20, 1881. The fighters of the League broke the attacks of the Ottoman army more than once and counterattacked several times. In one of these counterattacks, Mic Sokoli blocked enemy cannon muzzle with his own body.

On April 21, the Albanians, due to the superiority of the enemy, withdrew. On April 22 and 23, they fought in Dukel and Suhareka to prevent the Ottoman army from entering Prizren. In May, the last clashes took place in the depths of the Dukagjin Plain and Kosova.

/a.p./