Post by andrew on Feb 14, 2005 15:12:52 GMT -5
At the beginning of the 1900's the Ottoman Empire had started its spiraling decent. It had planted the seeds of distraught by mistreating its Christian provinces. The situation grew very hostile as the ethnic groups began experiencing nationalism seen from the west.
The Turks denied the provinces sovereignty and as the massacres of the Turks repeated themselves the victims grew restless. Finally while the Turks were at war with Libya the Balkan people seized the opportunity. The peoples of Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia combined military forces and were able to threaten the Ottoman existence thus gaining independence. This war became known as the first Balkan War.
Shortly after the allies had triumphed over their aggressor they too went to war over the spoils, known as the second Balkan War. It was at this time that the great powers stepped in to add their manipulations.
The Congress of Berlin was an opportunity for the great powers to give peace to a hostile region had they negotiated for the people's they mediated for. However, they too had their agendas and the map drawing and dividing up of the victims lives did a great further damage to the area.
It would be at this meeting that would set the stage for unrest and breed terror groups such as IMRO and the Black Hand. The Black Hand particularly had connections to Gavrilo Princip the assassin of Arch duke Ferdinand. Which led to the Great War in which all of the great powers lost millions of lives and powerful countries were wiped out. Perhaps this entire turn of events could have been avoided if the great powers had provided the Balkan with what it really needed, STABILITY!
Questions, comments, arguments?
The Turks denied the provinces sovereignty and as the massacres of the Turks repeated themselves the victims grew restless. Finally while the Turks were at war with Libya the Balkan people seized the opportunity. The peoples of Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia combined military forces and were able to threaten the Ottoman existence thus gaining independence. This war became known as the first Balkan War.
Shortly after the allies had triumphed over their aggressor they too went to war over the spoils, known as the second Balkan War. It was at this time that the great powers stepped in to add their manipulations.
The Congress of Berlin was an opportunity for the great powers to give peace to a hostile region had they negotiated for the people's they mediated for. However, they too had their agendas and the map drawing and dividing up of the victims lives did a great further damage to the area.
It would be at this meeting that would set the stage for unrest and breed terror groups such as IMRO and the Black Hand. The Black Hand particularly had connections to Gavrilo Princip the assassin of Arch duke Ferdinand. Which led to the Great War in which all of the great powers lost millions of lives and powerful countries were wiped out. Perhaps this entire turn of events could have been avoided if the great powers had provided the Balkan with what it really needed, STABILITY!
Questions, comments, arguments?
