The Balkans |
How did the Balkans and they're friendships with other countries affect the beginning of the war? |
How were the Balkans seen as valuable? |
How did Balkan relations with other countries begin the war? |
The Balkans underwent significant change and disorder in the late 19th century. The Ottoman empire was dying down at this point, and had lost its control of the Balkans. Many great powers began to develop interest in the Balkan region, based on what might happen once the Ottoman Empire withered. The Russian navy, with its ports on the Black Sea, coveted access to and control of the Bosphorus, which provided shipping access to the Mediterranean(bbc). Britain was opposed to Russian expansion into the Mediterranean and the Middle East, so it wanted the Ottoman Empire to remain intact (bbc). Many other countries were also interest in the Balkans for the positioning in trade.
“The region’s rising nationalist tensions and dizzying ethnic diversity confounded all attempts to find lasting solutions to the seemingly endless conflicts… European diplomats understood that ethnic, economic and political connections between Balkan groups and several of the Great Powers meant that a conflict in this region could easily expand… Few Europeans expected [the assassination of Franz Ferdinand] to lead to a large war, although another Balkan war was a distinct possibility… Most Europeans expected diplomacy and cooler heads to prevail, as they had so often in the recent past.” Michael S. Neiberg(alphahistory) Why were tensions in the Balkan Regions High?In 1912 several Balkan nations, incited by Russia, signed multiple military alliances that formed the Balkan League. The agenda of this coalition was to wage war on the Ottomans and drive them out of eastern Europe entirely. The League declared war in October 1912 and despite the looseness of their alliance, the Balkan states emerged victorious after just eight months of fighting. In June 1913 Bulgaria launched a surprise attack on its former Balkan League allies. The Bulgarians were quickly defeated by the Greeks, Serbians and Romanians in barely a month. The Treaty of Bucharest penalised Bulgaria severely, leaving it frustrated and hostile towards its neighbours. The two Balkan wars forced the Great Powers to revisit their foreign policy in the region – especially Russia, which was now dependent on Serbia as a buffer against Austro-Hungarian aggression.
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Serbia's tensions with Austria-Hungary are what initially sparked the great war. After this, Russia entered in to protect its ally/interest Serbia. Germany quickly followed, and France joined soon after. At this point, a Serbia-Austria struggle had quickly sparked into something out of hand. However, the Balkans would also pull in one more great power. London had not yet joined the fight, and was trying to advocate for peace amongst the country. This would last until Germany crossed over Belgium, another Balkan state, and was obligated by the Treaty of London to enter the war. At this point, the war between Europe's great powers had begun, with the first war being declared because of relations with the Balkans, and the final great power entered because of relations with the Balkans.
Article 7. Belgium, within the limits specified in Articles 1, 2 and 7, shall form an independent and perpetually neutral State. It shall be bound to observe such neutrality towards all other States… "Near midnight on July 29, he summoned the British Ambassador, Sir Edward Goschen, to the Wilhemstrasse and offered him a bargain. He understood, the Chancellor said, that 'Great Britain would never allow France to be crushed.' But supposed Germany defeated France in war and then did not "crush" her? Would England remain neutral if the Reich guaranteed in advance the postwar territorial integrity of France and Belgium?...Goschen forwarded the request to London, where it was described by Crowe as "astounding" and rejected by Grey as "dishonorable" and "a disgrace."(Massie, Robert K.) |