Causes
The Balkan Wars
The First Balkan War
Effects
involved the nations of Bulgaria, Serbia,
Montenegro, and Greece (joined together in the
Balkan League) in a war against the Ottoman
Empire in 1912
By November 1912, the members of the Balkan
League had driven the Ottomans from most of
their European possessions and laid siege to
Constantinople.
The Balkan League was dedicated to the
elimination of Turkish power in Macedonia and
Thrace.
In spite of the Balkan League's advantageous
position, however, relations had been worsening
between Bulgaria and Greece over control of the
city of Salonika and other Macedonian territories.
In January 1913, the Great Powers of France, the
United Kingdom, and Germany and the
combatants tried to arrange an armistice during
the London Peace Conference.
Later that month, however, the Ottoman
government was overthrown by the Young Turks
movement, a group of modernizers who wished
to establish a more republican form of
government.
That nationalistic group denounced the armistice.
The Turkish armies continued to lose territory,
including the city of Adrianople on March 26.
Britain finally imposed the Treaty of London on
May 30, 1913, in which the Ottomans
surrendered all European possessions except the
tiny peninsulas of Gallipoli and Chatalja.
Significance
The Ottoman Empire was further weakened.
Disputes among the Balkan allies over how to
divide Macedonia among themselves led to
renewed war before the ink on the London Treaty
was dry.
The Second Balkan War
Causes
In June 1913, Bulgarian armies attacked the
Serbs and the Greeks on separate fronts without
a declaration of war.
Effects
The Bulgarian generals had underestimated the
strength of their allies, however, and their attacks
were beaten back in July.
In addition, Romania declared war on Bulgaria on
July 15, and the Turks recaptured Adrianople.
Hostilities ended with the Treaty of Bucharest on
August 10, 1913.
Significance
In the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria lost all the
territory it had gained in the First Balkan War.