CAMBRIDGE AS HISTORY: THE ORIGINS OF WORLD WAR 1. INSTABILITY IN THE BALKANS. Contains: Balkan nationalism, crisis before 1919.

1. CAMBRIDGEAS
HISTORYREVISION
THEORIGINS
OFWORLDWAR1
4.3 INSTABILITY
INTHEBALKANS

2. BALKAN NATIONALISM
Decline of Turkish Empire: led to emergence of Balkan states, each of
which felt insecure; led to growth of nationalism.
Austria-Hungary: wanted to control Balkans; afraid that nationalism there
might spread to its Habsburg Empire.
Russia: had cultural links with peoples in the Balkans (e.g. Slavs, especially
Serbs); wanted warm-water access to the Mediterranean through the
Dardanelles.
Implications: Austria-Hungary and Russia were rivals in the Balkans.

3. CRISIS BEFORE 1914
Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia 1908–09: angered Russia and Serbia,
which backed down when threatened by a combination of Austria-Hungary
and Germany.
Rise of the Balkan League against Turkey 1912: resolved by a conference
in London; Serbia made gains and saw this as an opportunity to unite Serbs
living outside Serbia (including within Habsburg Empire).