Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (1946-1974)
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- This article is about the Yugoslav Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija between 1946 and 1974, up until its reconstitution as the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo. For the period of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija between 1990 and 1999, see Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (1990–1999). For the modern region, autonomous province, or country see Kosovo.
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The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (Serbian, Croatian, Serbo-Croatian: Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo i Metohija, Аутономна Покрајина Косово и Метохија) was an autonomous province of Serbia, within the larger federation of Yugoslavia from 1946 to 1974, when it was replaced by the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo.
[edit] History and background
During the interwar period, the name of Kosovo was associated with a specific region, though did not exist as any form of political subdivision. Its new outline following the end of the war and the establishment of Tito's Communist regime was carved out of the southeastern corner of Serbia. The entity of Kosovo had last existed as an Ottoman Province. By 1946, one piece of the Ottoman Province had been given to the new Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (including the former capital Skopje), whilst another chunk had passed to Montenegro, also a new entity. Whilst another significant piece had formed a part of Albania since the Treaty of London in 1913, the remainder lay within Serbia. The new province's borders were demarcated with the purpose of incorporating a large area within Serbia where there had been an absolute Albanian majority, and thus was created the autonomous region of Kosovo and Metohija in 1946.
Kosovo officially became an autonomous province in 1963, though the central Communist government did not permit the return of many of the refugees, ethnic Serbs. This ban capitally changed ethnic structure. Albanians became majority. In pre-war Kingdom of Yougoslavia Albanians were 10% of population of Kosovo. Most of new new population were families of Balli Kombëtar members, the pro-Nazi World War II Albanian forces.
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija received more and more autonomy and self-government within Serbia and Yugoslavia during the 1970s, and its name was officially changed in 1974 to Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo ("and Metohija" was removed because it was not used by the Kosovo Albanians and "Socialist" was added to further show the Socialist ideal of then's SFRY).
