Question

"The most serious source of nationalist tension in Europe after 1871 was the area called the Balkans." Evaluate the statement in context of Slavic Movement. 

Answer 1

Due in large part to the Slavic Movement (Pan-Slavism) and the waning Ottoman Empire, the statement highlights the Balkans as the most significant source of nationalist conflicts in Europe after 1871. The Balkans, which are home to numerous ethnic groups, including Bosnians, Croats, Bulgarians, and Serbs, became a hotbed of war because-

1. Rise of Nationalism: Tensions were heightened by various Slavic ethnic groups' demands for independence from the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
2. Pan-Slavism: Austria-Hungary fought Slavic nationalism in order to keep control of Slavic areas, while Russia backed it in order to increase its power.
3. Breakdown of the Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire's collapse Wars and power struggles among newly forming nations resulted from the Ottoman Empire's waning influence.
4. Balkan Wars (1912–1913): It fueled nationalist tensions and caused more instability.
5. Trigger for World War I: The cause of World War I tensions in the Balkans directly contributed to the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist, which in turn sparked World War I.