The “Treaty of Fëslau” (Vöslau), a secret agreement concluded between Serbia and Greece in Fëslau (near Vienna), outlined the initiation of a war against Turkey. The treaty stipulated that, following the war, Serbia would acquire Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Greece would gain Thessaly and Epirus. In preparation for the conflict against Turkey, the parties acknowledged the significance of Albania and the role of the Albanians, considering their position crucial due to the provinces they inhabited, which separated the Greek and Serbian territories of European Turkey. Particularly notable was the Greco-Serbian Military Convention of February 28, 1868, which followed the treaty and specifically addressed “Albania’s contribution” to the anti-Ottoman war efforts. However, the Treaty of Fëslau primarily reflected a tendency towards territorial expansion, aiming not only to unite areas inhabited by Serbian and Greek populations still under Turkish control but also to appropriate the lands of others, particularly those belonging to Albanians. In the discussions leading up to the treaty, Serbia sought not only Kosovo (referred to as “Old Serbia”) but also Northern Albania, while Greece aimed to expand its claims beyond Macedonia to include Epirus, which encompassed Southern Albania. (In the photo: View of the city of Vöslau, XX century.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2735.
Photo: © https://www.badvoeslau-tourismus.at/ortschronik-bad-voeslau
Graphic processing: AHCF
