Germanic influences in the Balkan Peninsula are discussed by A.
Pogodin in the magazine Russian Thought. Mr. Pogodin says:
Without having in view any acquisitions whatsoever in the
northern part of the Peninsula, Russia is deeply interested
in seeing to it that Germanic influence does not acquire
preponderance there, because that influence, in its turn,
has no aims save territorial acquisition. The Balkan
Peninsula is admitted to be the most influential camp of
Pan-Germanism for the colony desired by the Germanic world,
from which it is but a step to Central Asia. And it was this
plan that Russia was compelled to combat. Unfortunately, she
resisted too feebly, and our diplomacy betrayed an extremely
poor comprehension of Russian problems. Austria's snatching
appetite was fully revealed in the formula of partition of
the Peninsula into two spheres of influence: Austria was to
have Serbia and Bosnia, Russia the Bulgarian provinces of
the Ottoman Empire. We all know how that ended: Serbia was
abandoned by Russia at the Berlin Congress, and had no
choice but to throw herself into the arms of Austria, which
wrought fearful demoralization in the land. Tens of years
were required before little, tormented Serbia--which had
not, nevertheless, lost her freshness of spiritual power
"found herself," that is to say, turned again to Russia, and
did not reject her even during the period of the
persecutions of 1908 which followed. This constituted the
great service rendered to his people by the King of Serbia,
Peter. Serbia has not perished, has not fallen into ruin,
and has shown herself able to endure a war with Turkey, as
she is now bearing the incredible blows of Austria-Hungary.
But Bulgaria, which rejected Russia, has been seized in the
grip of internal disturbances; she stands distracted before
her Slavonic duty, and knows not whither she must go or why.
If, at the last moment, she has sufficient sense to find her
only way of salvation, which is in friendship with Slavdom,
that, again, will be to the credit of Russia.
That is why, at the present moment, when the last act of the
Balkan tragedy, begun long ago, is being played, we can look
history in the face with calm eyes. Whatever may be formed
after the end of this war, whether a Slavonic Federation, in
which Russia could hardly take much interest, since she
requires, first of all, the concentration of her own forces,
or a series of independent, separate Slavonic kingdoms, we
may say that, in having summoned the Slavs to unity, Russia
has not deceived them, has not led them along a false road
to destruction.