Why did Nationalist conflict in the balkans?
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Answer:
The most serious tensions in Europe after 1871 was the area called the Balkans . One of the main regions for the tension to emerge in Balkans was because the people were aspired to nationalism. During the 19th century, major portion of Balkans was under the Ottoman Empire. They tried to adopt modern techniques to make changes in the internal backwardness of the state but they did not succeed. The following were the reasons for nationalist tensions to emerge in Balkans :
• Ethnic Variation : The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variations comprising modern day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro. Thier inhabitants were known as 'Slavs'.
• Disintegration of Ottoman Empire : A large part of the Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. The spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism in the Balkand together with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made this region very explosive. All through the nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire had sought to strengthen itself through modernisation and internal reforms but with very little success. One by one, its European subject nationalities broke away from its control and declared their independence.
• Subjugation : Soon many foreign powers attempted ro subjugate these newly independent states. The Balkan people based their claims for independence or political rights on nationality and used history to prove that they had been once been independent but had subsequently been subjugated by foreign powers. Hence, the rebellious nationalities in the Balkans thought of their struggles as attempts to win back their long-lost independence. As the different Slavic nationalities struggled to define their identity and independence, the Balkan area became an area of intense conflict.
• Jealousy : The Balkan States were fiercely jealous of each other and each hoped to gain more territory at the expense of the others. During this period, the ideology of Europe was changed, the liberal feelings were narrowed down with limited ends. Intolerance followed among groups and they were ready to fight a war.
• Power Struggle : Matters were further complicated because the Balkans also became the scene of big power rivalry. During this period, there was an intense rivalry among the European Powers over trade and colonies as well as naval and military might. These rivalries were very evident in the way the Balkan problem unfolded. Each power - Russia, Germany, England, Austria-Hungary - was keen on countering the hold of other powers over the Balkans, and extending its own control over the area. They were very keen on controlling the hold of the other powers.
This led to a series of wars in the region and finally the First World War ( 1914-1918 ).