The Balkan Wars
By the beginning of this century, the Turks had become much less powerful. In 1911, the Turks and Italians went to war. The Balkan countries saw this as a good opportunity to drive the Turks out of Europe. Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro formed a secret alliance. (These last two countries are now part of Yugoslavia.) They declared war on Turkey in 1912, and the first Balkan War began. The four Balkan countries attacked the Turks at various points and defeated them. Bigger European countries tried to get the Balkan nations and Turkey to sign a peace treaty, but Turkey refused, and so the fighting started again. Turkey was defeated in several more battles, and finally, in May, 1913, a peace treaty was signed.
Turkey lost all its European possessions, except a small strip including Constantinople (the city that is now called Istanbul). The Balkan countries then began to quarrel among themselves about who would get this land. Serbia was very bitter when Albania was declared an independent state by the European powers. Serbia wanted Albania because it was on the Adriatic Sea and Serbia needed seaports. When it could not get Albania, Serbia demanded a large part of the territory of Macedonia from Bulgaria. Bulgaria refused, and began to prepare for war. Serbia was joined by Greece, Rumania, and Montenegro. They demanded that Bulgaria share the lands it had gained in the first Balkan War.
The Bulgarians didn't answer the demand, and instead attacked Serbia in June, 1913. This was the beginning of the second Balkan War. The war lasted only one month. Bulgaria could not defend itself against four enemies, and had to surrender and give up territory to all of them. But this was not the end of trouble in the Balkans. More and more, the people were demanding a separate state for each nationality. Some of the Slavic people who were ruled by Austria-Hungary, an empire that was ended by World War I, demanded independence. They began to meet secretly in cities, and even broke out in riots. Europe became very nervous. In 1914, a Slav assassinated the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria in the streets of Sarajevo, while he was riding in his carriage. This incident caused the outbreak of World War I, in which almost all the European countries and later the United States were involved.
After World War I, the Allies formed the new country of Yugoslavia. It was made up of the former countries of Serbia and Montenegro, plus Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Dalmatia, which had been part of Austria-Hungary. In World War II, the Balkans again became the scene of much fighting. The Nazis invaded and finally occupied all of these countries. After the war, all the Balkan countries except Greece and Turkey came under the domination of Russia and set up communist governments.
Turkey lost all its European possessions, except a small strip including Constantinople (the city that is now called Istanbul). The Balkan countries then began to quarrel among themselves about who would get this land. Serbia was very bitter when Albania was declared an independent state by the European powers. Serbia wanted Albania because it was on the Adriatic Sea and Serbia needed seaports. When it could not get Albania, Serbia demanded a large part of the territory of Macedonia from Bulgaria. Bulgaria refused, and began to prepare for war. Serbia was joined by Greece, Rumania, and Montenegro. They demanded that Bulgaria share the lands it had gained in the first Balkan War.
The Bulgarians didn't answer the demand, and instead attacked Serbia in June, 1913. This was the beginning of the second Balkan War. The war lasted only one month. Bulgaria could not defend itself against four enemies, and had to surrender and give up territory to all of them. But this was not the end of trouble in the Balkans. More and more, the people were demanding a separate state for each nationality. Some of the Slavic people who were ruled by Austria-Hungary, an empire that was ended by World War I, demanded independence. They began to meet secretly in cities, and even broke out in riots. Europe became very nervous. In 1914, a Slav assassinated the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria in the streets of Sarajevo, while he was riding in his carriage. This incident caused the outbreak of World War I, in which almost all the European countries and later the United States were involved.
After World War I, the Allies formed the new country of Yugoslavia. It was made up of the former countries of Serbia and Montenegro, plus Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Dalmatia, which had been part of Austria-Hungary. In World War II, the Balkans again became the scene of much fighting. The Nazis invaded and finally occupied all of these countries. After the war, all the Balkan countries except Greece and Turkey came under the domination of Russia and set up communist governments.
