Why_Were_the_Balkans_an_Area_of_International_Tension_

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 Orthodox Christians, like the Serbs which got so horrifically treated by the Turks after they tried to revolt in 1878. Whole villages were wiped out as women and children as well as men were brutally murdered and burned alive. The Russian public, especially the pan-slave movement in Russia, felt that they had a duty to protect these people, and wanted to push the Ottoman Empire out of the control they had in the Balkans. France also had sympathy with the people who were being so disgustingly treated by the Turkish in the Balkans, but as there was very little concerning or benefitting France from the area, they had little enough concern not to do much, but support the Turkish Empire in the interest of international peace as France was not near enough ready for a war. France did however encourage Turkey to reform and to allow more self-government in the Balkans area. Britain as well as Austria feared the rise of the Russian territory. With the Balkans being friendly, meant the British had top trade routes, which being an island were highly relied on in the success of the country. Russia and Britain were on terrible terms, and with the expansion of Russia in the Balkan area meant that those trade routes would be lost. She also feared the expansion of Russia into India and the Middle East. Britain therefore wanted to preserve the Ottoman Empire that was ruling the Balkans, although the British public were outraged at the way the Serbs had been massacred, so it swang both ways. Four major powers throughout Europe each had their separate reasons to want to either preserve or demolish the Turkish input in the Balkans and the tension spread throughout Europe. I think it the Balkans caused the most problems for Germany, who was trying to start a preventative war with France and build his international trust barriers up again, but the tension in the Balkans’ was distracting everyone attention from him, and breaking up his Dreikaiserbund.