What caused the unrest in the Balkans before World War 1?
2 Answers
The weakening of the Ottoman Empire and Great Power politics of the early 20th Century.
Explanation:
The 1908 "Young Turks" coup in the Ottoman Empire raised hopes in the Balkans to the Nationalist aspirations of various groups in the Balkans. The Bulgarians, the Serbs, and the Greeks all hope to gain autonomy.
Austria-Hungary took over Bosnia at this time of Ottoman weakness. Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro establish National Governments although not quite outside the Ottoman influence.
The establishment of the Balkan league, an alliance between Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro was created by a series of agreements in 1912. Greece's involvement was necessary because of its Navy.
The Italio-Turkish War which Italy won also weaken the Ottomans.
Russia aspired to open a seaway from the Black Sea also encouraged the erosion of Ottoman power.
The Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 led to the end of Ottoman rule in the Balkan States and then a weakening of Bulgaria. Serbian aspirations in Bosnia against the Austro-Hungarians led to the larger World War one conflict. Austria hoped to capture more of the Balkans particularly Serbia during that War.
the vacuum created by the weakening of the Ottoman Turkish empire.
Explanation:
The war of 1878 - 1879 between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Turks caused the Ottoman Turkish Empire to lose influence and power in the Balkans.
The Orathodox Christian collation led by the Russian Empire won a war of liberation against the occupation of the Muslim government of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims were forced or choice to leave the Balkans. These displaced Muslims under the leadership of the Young turks. led a rebellion against the Religious leadership of the Caliphate. This rebellion further weakened the hold of the Ottoman Empire on the Balkans.
The Orthodox Christians of Serbia, Greece,and the Balkans wanted more independence, as the control of the Ottomans weakened. The Russian Empire aspired to be the leader of the new orthodox Christian nations, and to dominate the Balkans.
The Roman Catholic Austrian Hungarian Empire also wanted to move into the vacuum left by the collapse of the Ottoman influence in the Balkans. The Austrians had the support of the Catholic populations of Croatia and Romania.
The Young Turks wanted to reestablish Muslim influence in the Balkans, but less tolerant than the Caliphate had been, The Serbians another nations wanted more independence, Both the Russian and Austrian Empires wanted control. The conflict created by these competing interests resulted in the spark that started World War I.
