Why Were the Balkans an Area of International Tension?
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- Category: History: European
- Date Submitted: 10/04/2010 09:41 AM
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The Balkans was an area under the control of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish leader, Abdul Hamind. There were revolts from the separates groups of people in the area, and fights over it territory from its bordering countries Russia and Austria. Around the 1870’s the Balkans was an area of severe tension all over Europe sending everyone to the brink of a war.
The tension in The Balkans caused trouble for Bismarck’s plan to politically isolate France by using the Dreikaiserbund alliance with Russia and Austria-Hungary, because they were both in dispute about the territory and population in The Balkans area, they were both determined to gain benefits from the Turks issues they were facing with the revolts from the inhabitants of the Balkans. If a war or fight broke out between Austria and Russia Bismarck knew that he was going to have to make a decision between both countries as to which side he chose, or stay mutual, which could then anger both countries.
Austria mainly feared the rise of the Balkans peoples as most of their own population consisted of Serbs, Croats and Poles. Austria was worried that if the Serbs revolted in The Balkans, they would have to deal with their own members of the population that also revolted and joined Serbia. Austria was fully behind the Turkish Empire in the Balkans because it meant it stopped Russia from expanding into the territory and becoming a super power, with then a border to them.
Russia were highly concerned though about the geographically and strategic advantages having the Balkans as their own would give them, or even having control over just some of the area. Russia needed access to the Mediterranean Sea for vital trade routes, which was only available to them through the Black Sea, which again, was only available to the Russians if the relationships in the Balkans remained friendly. In contrast to the Austrians wishes, Russia’s public view was against the Ottoman Empire, as many of the Russian population was...
The tension in The Balkans caused trouble for Bismarck’s plan to politically isolate France by using the Dreikaiserbund alliance with Russia and Austria-Hungary, because they were both in dispute about the territory and population in The Balkans area, they were both determined to gain benefits from the Turks issues they were facing with the revolts from the inhabitants of the Balkans. If a war or fight broke out between Austria and Russia Bismarck knew that he was going to have to make a decision between both countries as to which side he chose, or stay mutual, which could then anger both countries.
Austria mainly feared the rise of the Balkans peoples as most of their own population consisted of Serbs, Croats and Poles. Austria was worried that if the Serbs revolted in The Balkans, they would have to deal with their own members of the population that also revolted and joined Serbia. Austria was fully behind the Turkish Empire in the Balkans because it meant it stopped Russia from expanding into the territory and becoming a super power, with then a border to them.
Russia were highly concerned though about the geographically and strategic advantages having the Balkans as their own would give them, or even having control over just some of the area. Russia needed access to the Mediterranean Sea for vital trade routes, which was only available to them through the Black Sea, which again, was only available to the Russians if the relationships in the Balkans remained friendly. In contrast to the Austrians wishes, Russia’s public view was against the Ottoman Empire, as many of the Russian population was...