The Balkans were a focal point for European power because of their territory and resources. They did even not receive the chance to be independent until the Ottoman Empire declined in the early 20th century, yet even then they were still mostly controlled by the Turks. Watching other countries around them unite fired greater desire to become independent, leading the Balkans to revolt

Ten years later, Eastern Rumelia revolted against Turkish rule with the aid of Bulgaria, winning the Battle of Slivnitza, and later adding Britain to their alliance. Crete religious tensions in 1879 caused numerous Muslims and Christians to be murdered, which caused Greece to get involved in aiding another attack on Turkey, who lost their own homeland in the end. By 1912 the Balkan League was formed, who was still intent of ridding their county of the loathed Serbs. They were successful in the Balkan Wars, which threatened other great powers. With the decline of Bulgaria and Turkey in the Balkans, the Serbs were able to gain a great deal of power and wanted to unite all Slavs in the area. They wished to gain the Slavs of Bosnia, but the country was owned by Austria-Hungary at the time. Angered, Serbian nationalists assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand

Some topics in this essay:
World War, Russia Serbia’s, Germany Italy, Turks Watching, Serbia Austria, Muslims Christians, Battle Slivnitza, Germans Infuriated, Balkans Serbs, Serbian Austrian, world war, war germany, tensions balkans, turkey balkans, ottoman empire, entire war, nationalist tensions, declared war,