Explain how the events in the Balkans in the year 1908-1914 lead to war among the Balkans state.

Answer 1

The events in the Balkans from 1908 to 1914 set the stage for conflict and eventually led to war among the Balkan states. Here is an explanation of the key events:

1. The Young Turk Revolution (1908): In 1908, the Young Turk Revolution took place in the Ottoman Empire. This revolution aimed to restore the constitution and establish a parliamentary form of government. However, this event led to a significant change in the balance of power in the Balkans.

2. Austro-Hungarian Annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (1908): Taking advantage of the internal strife in the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908. This move was met with strong opposition from Serbia, as they considered the territory vital for their aspirations of creating a Greater Serbia.

3. Ethnic Tensions and Nationalism: The Balkans were a region comprising various ethnicities and nationalities, including Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Albanians, Bulgarians, and Greeks. These diverse groups often had conflicting aspirations and fervently nurtured a sense of nationalism, fueling tensions between different states. Serbs sought to unite all South Slavic peoples, creating Greater Serbia, while Bulgaria and Greece also had territorial claims.

4. Balkan Wars (1912-1913): In 1912, the First Balkan War erupted when Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro formed an alliance against the weakening Ottoman Empire to liberate their fellow ethnic kinsmen under Ottoman rule. They quickly achieved successes, defeating the Ottoman forces and vastly expanding their territories. However, disputes over the spoils of war caused conflicts among the allies, leading to the Second Balkan War in 1913.

5. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914): The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914 in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) by a Bosnian Serb nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, set in motion a series of events that eventually led to World War I. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination, sparking a diplomatic crisis and culminating in a call to arms, ultimately leading to the First World War.

The combination of ethnic tensions, nationalist aspirations, territorial disputes, and the influence of external powers like Austria-Hungary all contributed to heightened tensions within the Balkans. The events from 1908 to 1914 acted as catalysts, creating a volatile environment that eventually erupted into full-scale war among the Balkan states.