Notes on the Balkan Wars

The Balkan Wars-Straits was a strategic and important to Russia and this was its most important task. To let Russian warships pass through it.

-The whole of the Bosnian crisis destroyed the Austro-Russian détente.

Austria’s rights on Bosnia and Herzegovina was at risk due to the “Young Turks” coming to power. They wanted to go back to Turkish rule. Austria decided to draw the line between Austria and Turkish territory. To the turks it seemed like a seizure of land. It also angered Serbia because there were Bosnian Serbs. So Serbia looked to Russia for support.

-Russias unorthodox diplomacy: Austria would accept Russian with the Straits and she would gain Bosnia. Izvolsky the Russian Foreign Ministery had done this deal without the Great Powers or the Russian Prime minister consent. Before he began negotiating, Austria announced the annexation with Bosnia. The great powers rejected, so Russia came out with nothing-Germany seeing Russia was weak, told A-H to smash Serbia and Germany would give support.

"The Dogs of War" - a Punch cartoon from June 17, ...

English: Illustration from the French magazine Le ...

Boundaries on the Balkans after the First and the ...

-Neither F nor B supported Russia, they blamed Izvolsky for the crisis. R accepted the annexation and Serbia threatened by war agreed to “live at peace”.

-Bosnian Crisis exacerbated Balkan problems. R = humiliated. Serbia = embittered. Revealed that the Triple Alliance (A-H, G, I) were stronger than the Triple Entente (R, F, B). Crisis ended A-R détente over the Balkans1905 – 1909 increase in international tension, partly due to G. G provoked Moroccan crisis, exploiting R’s weakness to threaten F. G chose to back A. Although it was A that turned a bargain into a crisis. G could have intervened, instead she opposed R. G was also on a naval race with B.

-Turkeys weakness was revealed, so some Balkan states tried expanding resulting in the First Balkan War (Turkey defeated), Second Balkan War when...