define Balkans in the rise of nationalism in Europe
Answers
Answer:
Balkans is the present day Romania , Bulgaria, Greece , Bosnia - Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania etc and were called Slavs.
Answer:
The Balkans is a large peninsula in south-eastern European. It is sandwiched between four major seas: the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and the Aegean. This peninsula hosts a cluster of nations and provinces, including Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Bosnia.
At the turn of the century, the Balkan region was more sparsely populated and under-developed than western Europe. It had few natural resources so was not considered an economic prize. If the Balkans had value, it was geographical and geopolitical.
Located at the crossroads of three major empires (Ottoman, Russian and Austro-Hungarian) and with access to several important waterways, the Balkan region was strategically vital. For this reason, the area had for centuries been a gateway between East and West, an area of cultural and mercantile exchange and a melting pot of ethnicities and people.
The retracting Ottoman Empire
balkans
A depiction of European powers hovering over the small but dangerous Balkan states
For centuries, the Balkan peninsula was ruled by the powerful Ottoman Empire. By the late 1800s, however, the Ottoman Empire was retracting. This led to the emergence of nationalist and independence movements in the Balkans. During this period Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria all gained independence from Ottoman rule.
Western European powers developed a strong interest in the Balkan region, driven by concerns about what might happen once the Ottoman Empire disintegrated. Foreign commentators referred to this as the ‘Eastern question’.
Each of the European powers had their own ambitions and objectives with regard to the Balkans. Russia hoped to expand its territory by moving into the region. The Russian navy, with its ports on the Black Sea, coveted access and control of the Bosphorus, which provided shipping access to the Mediterranean.
Britain was opposed to Russian expansion so wanted the Ottoman Empire to remain intact for as long as possible, to serve as a buffer against the Russians. Germany hoped to acquire bankrupt Ottoman regions as vassal states or colonies.
The two Balkan Wars
In 1912, several Balkan nations, largely influenced by Russia, signed a series of military alliances. This led to the formation of the so-called Balkan League. The agenda of this league was to wage war on the Ottomans and drive them out of eastern Europe entirely.
The League declared war in October 1912. 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, in what was little more than an opportunistic grab for territory. The Bulgarians were defeated by the Greeks, Serbians and Romanians in barely a month.
Serbian growth
The Treaty of Bucharest (August 1913) penalised Bulgaria severely, leaving it frustrated and hostile towards its Balkan neighbours.
The Serbs, victorious in both Balkan Wars, were the main beneficiary of these conflicts. The Serbian nation almost doubled in size, due to the acquisition of Kosovo and parts of Macedonia and Albania.
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.
Serbian nationalism
Serbia’s territorial gains had two significant outcomes, both of which contributed to the outbreak of World War I. The first was a sharp increase in Serbian nationalism.
Several Serb nationalist groups formed in the early 1900s and flourished over the next decade. Their primary aim was to free Serbia from foreign control and influence, particularly from Vienna.
In 1908, the Austro-Hungarians formally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. This roused nationalist movements in the region. Groups like the Narodna Odbrana (‘People’s Defence’), Crna Ruka (‘Black Hand’) and Mlada Bosna (‘Young Bosnia’) were all formed between 1908-1911 with the mission of driving out the Austro-Hungarians.