World War I in the Balkans, 1914-1918 – Third Balkan War?

Year 2009, Volume: 2009 Issue: 2, 119 - 127, 01.03.2009

Piotr Mıkıetyńskı

Abstract

Keywords

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World War I in the Balkans, 1914-1918 – Third Balkan War?

Abstract

I would like to moot the question of the significance of the World War 1 in the reference to the Balkan Peninsula. I think, that we need to consider, why South-Eastern Europe became again the area of bloody war after only one year of relative peace. The wording “Third Balkan War” (with the question-mark) is the introduction to more serious and much more detailed historical and political debate. The most important battles of World War 1 took place in the northern France and along vast Eastern Front. Although final results of World War 1 were based on efforts of armies of Great Powers (Great Britain, France, USA), governments of these states courted the support of smaller allies. This process had become particularly noticeable from the beginning of 1915, in other words at the moment of evident standstill (“position war”) on both fronts (West and East). Then, Great Powers started court for the co-operation of Balkan States. They possessed strategic locations and disposed of have use of considerable armed forces. The Ottoman Empire was the first state, which decided to stand for the side of one fighting military bloc. On the spur of War M Enver-Pasha, Turkey signed on August 2nd, 1914 the secret agreement with Germany. In November 1914, Ottoman Empire was in war with allied states. The closing of the Straits for allied navies cut off successfully naval communication routes between Russia and its western allies. In response, British government

Keywords

World War 1, Balkans, Ottoman Empire, Germany, Bulgaria