This brings us to the so-called Balkan Alliance about which much has
been written and many errors ignorantly propagated. For months after
the outbreak of the war against Turkey the development of this Alliance
into a Confederation of the Balkan states, on the model of the American
or the German constitution, was a theme of constant discussion in
Europe and America. As a matter of fact there existed no juridical
ground for this expectation, and the sentiments of the peoples of the
four Christian nations, even while they fought together against the
Moslem, were saturated with such an infusion of suspicion {35} and
hostility as to render nugatory any programme of Balkan confederation.
An alliance had indeed been concluded between Greece and Bulgaria in
May, 1912, but it was a defensive, not an offensive alliance. It
provided that in case Turkey attacked either of these states, the other
should come to its assistance with all its forces, and that whether the
object of the attack were the territorial integrity of the nation or
the rights guaranteed it by international law or special conventions.
Without the knowledge of the Greek government, an offensive alliance
against Turkey had in March, 1912, been concluded between Servia and
Bulgaria which determined their respective military obligations in case
of war and the partition between them, in the event of victory, of the
conquered Turkish provinces in Europe. A similar offensive and
defensive alliance between Greece and Turkey was under consideration,
but before the plan was matured Bulgaria and Servia had decided to
declare war against Turkey. This {36} decision had been hastened by
the Turkish massacres at Kochana and Berane, which aroused the deepest
indignation, especially in Bulgaria. Servia and Bulgaria informed
Greece that in three days they would mobilize their forces for the
purpose of imposing reforms on Turkey, and, if within a specified time
they did not receive a satisfactory reply, they would invade the
Ottoman territory and declare war. They invited Greece on this short
notice to co-operate with them by a simultaneous mobilization. It was
a critical moment not only for the little kingdom of King George, but
for that great cause of Hellenism which for thousands of years had
animated, and which still animated, the souls of the Greek population
in all Aegean lands.