Battle of Novšiće

Battle of Novšiće
Part of Battles for Plav and Gusinje
Date 4 December 1879 Location Montenegro Result League of Prizren victory
Belligerents
Principality of Montenegro	League of Prizren Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Marko Miljanov Todor Miljanov Vuković Miljan Vukov Vešović	Ali Pasha of Gusinje Haxhi Mulla Jaha Baca Kurti Jakup Ferri  † Omer Bašulović  † Husein-beg Redžepagić Matko Laličić Husein Bektešević Bilal-aga Šehović Arif Bašić  †
Units involved
Kuči battalion Vasojevići battalions: Morača-Rovci battalion Lijeva Rijeka battalion Bratonožići battalion	Muslim and Albanian irregulars of the League of Prizren: Scutari Vilayet (Plav and Gusinje) Kosovo Vilayet
Strength
~4,000	10,000-15,000
Casualties and losses
500 - 700 killed	around 400 killed and wounded
Location within modern-day Montenegro

The Battle of Novšiće (Serbian: Boj na Novšiću/Бој на Новшићу; Bitka na Novšićima/Битка на Новшићима, Albanian: Beteja e Nokshiqit)) was a battle for control over Plav and Gusinje fought on 4 December 1879 between the forces of Principality of Montenegro led by Marko Miljanov and local pro-Ottoman forces which included irregulars of the League of Prizren, both commanded by Ali Bey, the kaymekam of Gusinje. The League of Prizren consisted of the local Albanians and Slavic Muslims from Plav and Gusinje in Scutari Vilayet and irregulars from Kosovo Vilayet.

This battle followed the Montenegrin–Ottoman War (1876–78). It happened because the Ottoman Empire avoided to provide conditions for peaceful cession of Plav and Gusinje to Montenegro, as agreed in the Treaty of Berlin (1878). To straighten their position at Congress of Berlin and later to avoid fulfillment of their obligations from the Treaty of Berlin, the Ottomans unofficially supported the League of Prizren which mobilized the pro-Ottoman irregulars. They easily mobilized 14,000—15,000 forces, because Plav and Gusinje were predominantly populated by the pro-Ottoman Muslims and Albanians who opposed this cession to the predominantly Christian populated Montenegro. They paid all the income of their waqif to the chieftains of neighboring Albanian tribes who belonged to the League of Prizren to support them with their forces. The League of Prizren forces gathered in Plav and Gusinje where they were put under the command of the Ottoman kaymakam of Gusinje, Ali Pasha.