What was the area of the Balkans ? Why was it the most serious source of nationalist tension in Europe after 1871 ? What was its result ?
(1) The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising modern day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro whose inhabitants were broadly known as Slavs. (2) Causes for being the most serious source of nationalist tension in Europe in 1871 were as mentioned below : A large part of the Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. However, with the weakening and disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the nationalist tensions emerged in the area. Its European subject nationalities broke away and declared their independence The people of the Balkans argued that they were once independent before the foreign powers controlled them. So their object was to regain their lost independence. Nationalist tensions emerged due to rivalries of the European powers i.e., Russia, England, Germany, Austria-Hungary. All of these powers wanted to have their control due to one reason or the other. Rivalries among the Balkan states — The Balkan states were fiercely jealous of each other and each one of them wanted to extend her territory at the expense of the others. (3) Results : Rivalries of the European powers and among the Balkan states led to a series of wars in the region and finally the First World War.
