THE BALKAN STATES
THE BALKANS.--As we have learned in Chapter I, the Balkan states are,
with the exception of Montenegro, the result of a series of revolutions
which took place during the last hundred years. These revolutions were
the result of two causes. First there was a growing restlessness of the
different groups of people in the Balkan peninsula. This was due not
only to centuries of Turkish misrule, but also to the influence of the
republican movement which developed in northern and western Europe as a
result of the French Revolution. The second cause of the Balkan
revolutions was the gradual growth among the oppressed races of the
feeling that they would better their condition by throwing off the
despotic Turkish rule and by organizing each separate race into a
separate nation. Thus it was that the revolutions brought into existence
a group of small states, each populated chiefly by one of the races
inhabiting the Balkans.
[Illustration: THE BALKAN STATES 1913]
RACES IN THE BALKANS.--There are more races represented in the Balkans
than in any similar sized territory in Europe. Most of the Balkan states
lie along what was the northeastern fringe of the Roman Empire. So we
find inhabiting them not only ancient races like the Greeks and
Albanians, but also descendants of Roman colonists like the
Roumanians, and other racial groups like the Serbs and Bulgars, which
represent the survivals of the barbarian invasions of the Middle Ages.
While the larger groups of invaders passed on to the west, these dropped
out and moved southward into the Balkan peninsula, where their
descendants still remain. We must not think that these are pure races.
There has been much intermixture, and to-day all of the groups contain a
strong Slavic element, although some are rather unwilling to admit it.
There is besides a Turkish element in the population, as the result of
the long period of Turkish rule, especially in those districts where
many of the original inhabitants accepted Mohammedanism, as in Albania
and Macedonia.
THE SLAVS.--The Serbs, a Slavic race, form the chief part of the
population in Serbia and Montenegro, as well as in Bosnia and other
parts of southern Austria-Hungary. Together with the Croats and Slovenes
of southern Austria-Hungary, the Serbs are called the Jugo-Slavs
(yoo´go-slavz) or South-Slavs (_jugo_ means "south") to distinguish them
from the Czechs, Poles, and Russians of the north. There is, however, a
strong feeling of relationship between these two great Slavic groups.
THE BULGARS.--The Bulgars are descended from a non-Slavic race allied
to the Tatars and Finns. They came into the Balkan region on the heels
of some of the early migrations and seized the land now called Bulgaria;
there, however, they mingled with the native Slavic people whom they
conquered, and whose language they adopted. There are, besides, many
Bulgarians in the Dobrud´ja--the district lying between the lower Danube
and the Black Sea. Likewise in the province of Macedonia, the Bulgarians
form the largest element in the population.
THE ROUMANIANS.--Roumania is the old Roman province of Dacia, and the
Roumanians claim to be descendants of colonists which the Romans sent
into that province as an outpost against invasion. It is certain that
the language spoken by the Roumanians is much like Latin, but, as a
recent writer says, the language is closer to Latin than the Roumanians
are to Romans.
THE ALBANIANS.--The Albanian people are descended from the most
ancient of all the races in the Balkan peninsula; their language is the
oldest language spoken in Europe. For centuries they were nominally
subject to Turkey; but the Turks never really succeeded in conquering
them, though many of the Albanians became Mohammedans.
THE GREEKS.--Though the Greeks are descended in part from the people
who inhabited their country in ancient times, and though they speak a
modern form of the old Greek language, it is certain that the present
inhabitants are a much mixed race. They are largely Slav, but hold a
strong feeling for the great past of their country. This gives them an
unusually strong national rallying point. In many ways the Greeks are
the most progressive of the Balkan races.
RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA AS PROTECTORS OF THE BALKAN COUNTRIES.--The
struggle between the great powers as to which of them should become the
heirs of "the sick man of Europe," as the Sultan of Turkey was long ago
called, dates back about a century. Austria on account of her
geographical position and her desire to expand to the southward, and
Russia on account of her desire for Constantinople and the racial ties
connecting her with the Balkan states, each hoped to be preferred. Both
Austria and Russia, then, for more or less selfish reasons, were anxious
to bring about the break-up of the Turkish Empire in Europe. Whenever a
revolt against Turkish rule would break out, the revolutionists could
almost always count on the help of one or the other of these nations.
Since the Slavs and the Greeks hated each other, and both hated the
Bulgarians, there was sometimes a tendency for the Bulgarians and the
Greeks to look to Austria or Germany for help, as a counterpoise to
Russia's influence on behalf of the Slavic states. At one time, however,
Russia gave great aid to Bulgaria. In all the twists and turns of Balkan
politics we find Russia or Austria posing as protector of the rights of
one or another of the Balkan states.
On the other hand, when all the Balkan states bordering Turkey put aside
their rivalries and combined for an attack on Turkey in 1912, Germany
and Austria gave what moral support they could to Turkey. Austria had no
desire to see a strong league of the Balkan states formed to the south
of her, a league which would be largely under the influence of Russia.
German leaders had already formulated their dream of _Mittel-Europa_
(Mid-Europe), a broad band of German-controlled territory extending to
Turkey. With Turkey itself Germany made treaties which practically
assured her control all the way to Bagdad. Germany had no desire either
for a Balkan league, which would block her way, or for the defeat of
Turkey, which might interfere with the carrying out of the treaties.
THE BALKAN WAR OF 1912.--Turkish rule in Macedonia had become
increasingly bad. Situated in the midst of three of the larger Balkan
countries, it had representatives of each among its population. These
countries put aside for the time being their jealousies of each other.
In 1912 Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro formed an alliance and
presented a demand to Turkey that Macedonia should be made
self-governing. Most of Europe believed that the German-trained army of
the Turks would annihilate the armies of the smaller nations. But in a
little over a month Turkey was beaten. Even Constantinople might have
been taken had Bulgaria pursued the advantage gained by her troops. This
time no nation protected Turkey, and the treaty of peace left her with
only a tiny bit of European territory and the city of Constantinople.
Incidentally, Germany had lost much prestige, for Turkey had fought the
war with the help of German officers and with German encouragement, and
had lost.
THE SECOND BALKAN WAR.--Unfortunately, the victors soon quarreled over
the spoils. Bulgaria had seized Thrace and wanted most of Macedonia,
including the city of Saloni´ca, which had been captured by the Greeks.
Austria intervened to prevent Serbia from getting any increase in
territory on the southwest, toward the Adriatic. Hence Serbia wanted a
share of the lands to the south, claimed by Bulgaria. Bulgaria, backed
by Austria and Germany, refused to make any concessions, or to leave the
dispute to arbitration. She began the second Balkan war with a night
attack on the Serbian and Greek armies, but was unable to defeat them.
On the contrary Bulgaria was defeated within a month, partly because
Roumania and Turkey also entered the struggle against her. Bulgaria had
to give up much of her conquests to her former allies. Roumania claimed
a slice off her northeastern corner, and a Turkish army recaptured
Adrianople and neighboring territory from the hard-pressed Bulgarians.
LOSS OF PRESTIGE BY GERMANY AND AUSTRIA.--One of the important results
of these two wars was the loss of prestige by Germany and Austria. These
"Central Powers," as they were called, had gone out of their way to
encourage first Turkey, and then Bulgaria, and both these countries had
been badly beaten. In any future diplomacy the opinions and desires of
the Central Powers would have less weight and impressiveness than
formerly. To regain their lost influence it was practically certain that
these nations would, at the earliest opportunity, make an attempt to
impose their will upon the victorious Balkan states.
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY.--1. Locate Macedonia, the Dobrudja,
Nish, Sofia, Durazzo. 2. Define and explain Mittel-Europa;
"The sick man of Europe." 3. Which nations of the Balkan
peninsula border upon the Black Sea? Which border upon the
Adriatic? Which lie along the Danube? 4. On an outline map of
the Balkan peninsula indicate the races to which the
populations belong and their distribution. 5. We have read in
this chapter that the old Roman province of Dacia developed
later into modern Roumania; can you name the Roman provinces
which correspond to the modern nations of France, Spain,
England, Switzerland? 6. What do you know of the history of
Constantinople prior to its capture by the Turks? 7. Explain
the causes of the second Balkan war. How did the outcome of
this war affect the history of the great European powers?
REFERENCES.--_War Cyclopedia_ (C.P.I.); _Study of the Great
War_ (C.P.I.); Davis, _The Roots of the War_; Hazen, _Europe
since 1815_; and other general histories of recent Europe.