Eastern Coalition Victory Over Ottoman Empire: Outcomes and Implications - Essay Sample

Introduction

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878 by Eastern Orthodox coalition of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro led by Russia, the Ottoman Empire was forced to sign the Treaty of San Stefano (Keil, 2016, 47). The defeat of the Ottoman Empire by the Eastern Coalition and Russia resulted in the reestablishment of the Bulgarian state and the independence of Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro from the Ottoman Empire. However, the tension in the Balkans did not stop, and great powers were at the edge of war for territorial disagreements. To prevent war, great powers and the Balkan states agreed to meet in Berlin to discuss solutions. Germany, who had no client among the Balkan people, led the Congress (Glenny,2012). In 1878 the six great powers of the time, Germany, France, Britain, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Ottoman Empire and four Balkan states of Romania, Montenegro, Greece, and Serbia met in Berlin. Congress aimed to reach a final decision regarding the fate of the Balkan countries following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The Congress of Berlin 1878 lasted precisely a month from 13th June to 13th July 1878, and in it, many decisions were made, one of which was the replacement of the Treaty of San Stefano by the Treaty of Berlin (Mishkova, 2017, 167).

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Congress of Berlin marked a new era in the history of Europe and the world. Many results of the Congress were at first regarded as significant achievements in stabilizing Europe. However, many decisions made in the Congress of Berlin 1878 planted the seeds for future wars such as the Global War of 1914. This Investigation will discuss, "To what extent did the failures in the Congress of Berlin 1878 contribute to the move to the Global War of 1914?". To do so, this Investigation will evaluate the failures of the Congress of Berlin such as the failure of the Congress in addressing the demands of Balkan people by stating the decisions that were made in the Congress, explaining why they were failures and how are they linked to the move to the Global War of 1914. Studying the topic is significantly crucial; there is a wide variety of views on the outcome of the decisions made in the Congress of Berlin (Keil, 2016, 45). One look suggests Congress of Berlin was successful because it helped to establish the outline of the modern Balkans and it kept Russia from expanding further into that region and beyond into the Ottoman Empire. Nonetheless, this investigation will look into the two significant failures of Congress and suggest how these failures contributed to the move to the Global War of 1914.

One of the failures of the Congress of Berlin was in addressing the aspiration of Balkan people. Most of the Balkan nations were under the control of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries. Their ambition was to expel the Turks from Eastern Europe, gain their freedom and despite their victory in the Russo-Turkish War, The Congress cut their gains and left them humiliated. Another failure of the Congress was the remapping of Europe. The Congress subordinated the benefits of the Eastern Coalition to three spheres of influence, Russian British and Austro-Hungarian. The Eastern Coalition kingdoms and Russia had won the Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878, yet lost their gains in the Treaty of Berlin signed in the Congress of Berlin.

Congress of Berlin 1878 and the Demands of Balkan People

Failures of the Decision

The failure of the Congress of Berlin in addressing the demands of Balkan people angered the Pan-Slavic nations as their dream of a united Slavic kingdom was denied (DailyHistory.org). The Congress was organized in a way where the Balkan states did not have a say. Congress did not invite the Balkan countries to the main events, and Balkan states could not represent their demands. The Balkan states did not even receive an invitation from the Congress for social events attended by the minor delegates of the Congress. This was while the representatives of great powers were present at every session of the Congress. The Congress explicitly excluded the foreign minister of Serbia, Jovan Ristic, from accessing the Congress. Ristic was only allowed to deliver the Serbian demands in written form, and the delegates were not obligated to read them (Glenny, 2012, 142). While the Persians central players in the Eastern crisis were allowed to make a presentation. The Albanian delegates returned to save money with having drawn entirely blank. The Montenegrins were also ignored and the only nation attended the Congress with the hope of success was Bulgaria which did not yet exist as a nation and did not know that her fate had already been decided by the leading powers of Germany, Britain, Austria-Hungary, and Russia before the Congress began (Glenny, 2012, 142). The Congress agreed to the independence of Romania but did not show any interest in Bucharest's territorial concerns. Misha Glenny, a British journalist, specializing in southeast Europe, writes in his book, (The Balkans,2012,144) "The Congress of Berlin subordinated all interests and demands of the Balkan states to three expanding spheres of interest Austria-Hungary, Russian and British." This suggests that Congress was mainly centered on the great powers rather than the Balkan states. In a way, the leading four skills, Germany, Britain, Austria-Hungary, and Russia had already made the most important decisions of the Congress before it even convened (Stanciu, 2019, 430). This left the Balkan people unsatisfied. Bulgaria and Serbia did not give up on their aspirations, Serbia turned to Russia, Bulgaria to Austria-Hungary and the Balkan conflict laid the foundation of the Great War.Led by the German chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, the official aim of the meeting was to prevent the territorial disagreements from creating future conflicts in the treaty of San Stefano. The congress solved the crisis caused by the treaty of San Stefano by reconsidering the agreement to satisfy Britain by keeping the Ottoman Empire as a European power and denying Russia the means to increase her naval power. Britain also gained control over Cyprus as a naval base to protect the declining Ottoman empire (Wrigley and Taylor, 2018, 200). It also aimed to satisfy Austria-Hungary by allowing her to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina to increase her influence in the Balkans. However, the congress left Russia humiliated by reducing her gains from the San Stefano treaty. Also, congress failed to consider the aspirations of the Balkan people who laid the foundation for future crises in the Balkans.

During the Russo-Turkish war 1877-1878, early concern about the influence of great powers in the Balkans was expressed by Great Britain and Austria-Hungary. Since the Treaty of Paris 1856, Britain had been opposing Russia's growing influence at the expense of the Ottoman Empire and specifically the Russian advance towards the Turkish Straits (Wilson, 2017, 156). Austria-Hungary shared the same view and was also disturbed by the creation of the Russian controlled state, Greater Bulgaria. Before the war, Russia promised Austria-Hungary that no large state would emerge from the remapping of the Balkans. Russia would also allow Austria-Hungary to occupy Bosnia-Herzegovina and prevent Montenegro from acquiring a seaport. However, Russia did not hold to her promise and forced the Treaty of San Stefano upon Istanbul on March 1878. In it, a specific large Bulgaria with an Aegean coast was formed, and 50,000 Russian troops would stay in Bulgaria until Bulgaria had established her army. It also created a greater Montenegro with the three small Adriatic ports she had occupied during the war and a smaller Serbia with most of the Sanjak of Novi Bazar divided between the two Serbian states. The treaty allowed the Russian acquisition of the most of Turkish Armenia. Britain and Austria-Hungary believed that the agreement of San Stefano gave Russia too much influence in the Balkans.

The Ottoman Empire was aware of Austria- Hungary and Britain's opposition towards Russia's extending in the Balkans. Britain had already sent a naval squadron inside the Sea of Marmora and was ready to start a war with Russia. Alongside Britain, Austro-Hungary, Serbia, and Romania objected, who felt cheated by Russia. It was then when Bismarck who feared the formation of an anti-German alliance, realized that to prevent war, the great powers should meet and discuss to solve the crisis. To make it possible Bismarck promised to act as 'The honest broker.' Russia submitted the treaty revision only after Britain threatened to declare war on Russia, and Bismarck offered to act as "honest broker." Russia's weak financial situation with the ruble has fallen 40% put battle with Britain out of their options. Aleksandr Gorchakov, Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, agreed with the Austro-Hungarian proposal for a Berlin congress under Otto von Bismarck's leadership.

Reasons for the Failure and Global War of 1914

One view on the Congress of Berlin is that it was not successful. This view suggests that because of problems and errors in the decisions made in Congress, future conflicts rose in the Balkans. For instance, one problem with the decisions made in the Congress of Berlin was that they failed in fulfilling the aspirations of the Balkan people. For example, Congress was against large movements of refugees and domestic powers struggles. At the time when the Congress was being held in Berlin, Russian troops and Bulgarian irregulars joint forces against Muslims in Bulgaria. 150,000 Muslims sought refuge in Istanbul which nearly brought about the collapse of the city's infrastructure. Ottoman Empire was urged by starvation to return the refugees to Edline which was a part of the Russian territory at the time. When the Turkish delegation, the seventh 'great power' at the table raised questions regarding the fate of refugees, Bismarck slapped it down (Despot, 2019, 13). Andrassy, the Austria-Hungarian prime minister, raised the issue of 200,000 refugees from Bosnia only because they were placing a strain on the Habsburg authorities in Croatia. Muslims were a large population in the Balkans. Many of these Muslims, most of whom were from Albania, Bosnia, and Kosovo were so committed towards their religion that despite their independence from the Ottoman Empire they remained Muslim. This suggests that Congress treated Balkan people immorally. Such features from Balkan reality were passed over in silence by the Congress. This indicates that the Congress of Berlin was not successful in fulfilling the aspiration of Balkan people.

Another example of Congress being unkind towards the Balkan people was the absence of the representatives of Balkan states in Congress. This was while the representatives of great powers were present at every session of the Congress. The Balkan countries did not even receive an invitation from the Congress for social events attended by the minor delegates of the Congress. The Congress did not grant the foreign minister of Serbia, Jovan Ristic, and access to the Congress (Boatca, 2015, 200). Ristic was only allowed to deliver the Serbian demands in written form, and the delegates were not obligated to read them. While the Persians central players in the Eastern crisis were allowed to make a presentation. The Albanian representatives returned to save money with having drawn entirely blank. The Montenegrins were also ignored, and the only nation attended the Congress with the hope of success was Bulgaria which did not yet exist as a nation and did not know that her fate had already been decided. The Congress also agreed to the i...