-Azem Bejta Galica was born on December 10, 1889, into a patriotic and warrior family in Drenica.
-Before turning eleven, he killed the Serbian criminal Stojan with his uncle’s rifle in Selac.
-At the age of 20, Azem Bejta Galica joined the Drenica fighters and took part in the legendary Battle of Merdar.
-After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Serbian forces invaded Albanian lands, while many Albanian freedom fighters were persecuted, killed, or imprisoned.
-Azem Bejta Galica fought alongside his wife and fellow fighter Shote Galica, known as the “Bride of the Mountains.”
-Their most famous battle took place in Abri on March 6, 1917, where Azem’s younger brother Adem was fatally wounded.
-In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (SKS), known by many Albanians as the “Second Serbia,” was established and increased pressure on Albanian lands.
-On May 6, 1919, a major Albanian uprising erupted across Drenica and Dukagjin against Serbian rule.
-Serbian forces took revenge on unarmed civilians by burning homes and executing family members in 1920 and 1921.
In response, Shote Galica, together with her brothers and comrades, entered Mitrovica and killed the Serbian chief responsible for the crimes.
-In 1923, the Free Zone of Drenica, known as “Little Albania,” was established under the leadership of Azem Bejta Galica.
-For several years, “Little Albania” became a symbol of Albanian patriotism and inspired resistance and freedom movements across Albanian lands.