The Balkans Wars.

 

After the congress of Britain, in 1878, Russia and Austria continued their rivalry for influence in the Balkans. In 1885 the people of Eastern Rumelia rebelled against the Turks and sought union with Bulgaria. This was achieved but Australia and Russia quarreled over who should have the greater influence in Bulgaria.

Within the frontier of Austria-Hungary were included many different national groups, such as Serbs, Croats, Magyars, Czech, Slovenes, Romania, Ruthenia’s and Poles. Rebellions and uprising among her own people had shown the difficulties of welding these different communities together into one state. The growth of Balkan nationalism threatened the Austro-Hungarian Empire, since the Austrians knew that sooner or later Serbia would want to incorporate the Austro-Hungarian Serbs within her own frontier.

At first Austria and Serbia were friends, and allies in1881. But in 1903, the Serbia King, Alexander I, was murdered and successes by Peter I, who favored Russia rather than Austria.in particular, he hoped to liberate Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Austria administered under the terms of the Congress of Berlin in 1878.

In July 1908, a rebellion by Turkish nationalists the Young Turks) appeared likely to hasten the long-awaited breakup of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. So, on 1 September 1908, the Austrian foreign minister, Baron Aehrenthal and the Russia diplomat Alexander Izvolsky did a deal at Buchlau (near Vienna), in which it as agreed that Austria would annex Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia would have supported by Austria in her demand to reopen the Bosphorous and the Dardanelles to Russia worship. Unfortunately, they did not commit these agreements to paper and both claimed later they had been misunderstood, it seems likely that Austria deceived Russia into thinking that the other Great Powers would be consulted first and their agreement sought.

When Ferdinand I of Bulgaria declared his country independent of Turkey, on 5 October 1908, Austria decided to act, without even seeking the approval of her ally Germany. Bosnia and Herzegovina were annexed on the following day (6 October). This immediately aroused the hostility of the three government most closely involved-the Russians, the Serbs (who wanted to go to war) and the Turks (the normal rulers of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The situation was so serious that the Austrians asked for, an got, a promise from Germany in January 1909, that he would mobilize her armed forces if Russia intervened in an Austro-Serbian war. It did not come to that. In 1909 the Turks accepted compensations from Austria for the loss of Bosnia. They also recognized the independence of Bulgaria.

Russia was persuaded, a against her will, to accept the Austrian annexation and persuaded the Serbs to do likewise. Germany used intimidation, suggesting that failure of the Russian to agree might lead to an Austrian invasion of Serbia and increase the like hood of a major European war.