The overall situation influenced Albanians to organize themselves as the Local Counsels for National Salvation with aim to protect the Albanian populated lands . By the end of 1877 the issue of defending territorial integrity became difficult . On 13 December 1877 , Serbs declared war on Ottoman Empire , as did Montenegro . Both were supported by the Russian Army and spread their attacks on the northern parts of Albania . Albanians were unable to defend several regions and cities in the northeast and northwest of Albania . Upon occupation of these lands , the Ottoman administrators ( of mainly Albanian origin ) fled the freed territories and/or were expelled . During the Russo-Turkish war , the incoming Serb army expelled most of the Muslim Albanian population from the Toplica and Niš regions into Kosovo triggering the emergence of what became the League of Prizren ( 1878 – 1881 ) as a response to the Great Eastern Crisis
expelled most of the Muslim Albanian population
Expulsion of the Albanians 1877–1878
League of Prizren