Army of the Holy Roman Empire
In 1689 the Kelmendi volunteered in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire during the Kosovo campaign. Initially they were serving Süleyman, but after negotiations with a Venetian official, they abandoned the Ottoman ranks. In October 1689, Arsenije III Čarnojević allied himself with the Habsburgs, gaining the title of "Duke". He met up with Silvio Piccolomini in November, and put under his wings a large army of Serbs, including some Kelmendi.