Following the Herzegovina uprising of 1875 , Serbia declared war on the Ottoman Empire , seeking its full independence in what would become known as the Serbian-Turkish Wars . During the conflict , Serbian forces expelled between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims , mostly Albanians , from Serbia . Despite losing the first Serbian-Turkish War , the Serbians won their independence in the second war ( also known as the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 ) . Serbia became a kingdom in 1882
expelled between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims
Expulsion of the Albanians 1877–1878
Freedom of religion in Serbia