RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM IN THE BALKANS DURING THE FIRST BALKAN WAR OF 1912 – 1913
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058X.24.264741Abstract
The Russian Empire sought to use the formation of the Balkan League (Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro) in order to weaken the Ottoman Porte before and during the First Balkan War of 1912 – 1913. Due to Russia’s ambitions, such steps were motivated, in order to establish control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, Constantinople, as well as in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean regions. The purpose of the research is to do historical analysis of the causes / events of the First Balkan War of 1912 – 1913 and the efforts, which were made in order to implement the Russian Empire’s ambitions during it, whose interests collided with the interests of other Great Powers that sought to establish control over the Balkans, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean region, as well as manipulation of the Balkan peoples' aspirations for this purpose. The methodology of research is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity and scientificity. The following approaches have been used in the course of the study: historical political and historical systemic, as well as methods of macro historical analysis. The scientific novelty consists in updating the study of historical events related to the clash of geopolitical interests of big states in the Balkans, the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The Conclusions. During the First Balkan War of 1912 – 1913, the contradictions between the big states concerning the influence on the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits intensified. The Russian Empire, taking advantage of the Ottoman Porte weakening, tried to influence the course of its confrontation with the Balkan League in order to achieve the expansion of its presence. The tsarist government, emphasizing the support of the Slavic peoples, at the same time tried to hinder the advance of the Bulgarian army to the Ottoman capital in every possible way, since it claimed to subjugate Constantinople and the Straits at a convenient opportunity. In the same way, St. Petersburg reacted very unkindly to the aspirations of Greece to strengthen its own positions in the direction of these strategic points. However, in addition to Russia, Austria-Hungary, the German Empire, as well as Britain and France claimed influence in these regions, which made it impossible to determine the leading subject of influence in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and became one of the important reasons for the beginning of World War I.
Key words: Balkan Wars, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire, Balkan League, Bosphorus, Dardanelles, Great Powers, geopolitical interests.
References
Anderson, M. S. (1966). The Eastern Question 1774 – 1923. London: St. Martin’s Press. [in English]
Aufzeichnung Kiderlen, Berlin, den 13, Dezember 1912 [Record Kiderlen]. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 33, 12533, 38–39. [in German]
Bertie – Grey, Paris, November 6, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 143, 109–110. [in English]
Bobroff, R. (2000). Behind the Balkan Wars: Russian Policy toward Bulgaria and the Turkish Straits, 1912 – 13, The Russian Review, 59, 1 January, 76–95. [in English]
Bompard – Poincaré, Péra, 13 mars 1912. Documents diplomatiques français (1871 – 1914), Série 3, Le vol. II, 198, 192–193. [in French]
Bovykin, V. I. (1961). Iz istorii vozniknoveniya pervoy mirovoy voyny. Otnosheniya Rossii i Frantsii v 1912 – 1914 gg. [From the History of the Outbreak of the First World War. Relations between Russia and France in 1912 – 1914]. Moskva: Izd. Moskovskogo universiteta. [in Russian]
Bülow – Saleske. Sofіa, den 28 März, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, 34 (2), 13044, Notеz 1, 580–581. [in German]
Dascovici, N. (1915). La question du Bosphore et des Dardanelles [The Question of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles]. Genéve: Georg & Cie. [in French]
Dontas, D. (1987). Greece and Turkey: Тhe Regime of the Straits, Lemhosand Samothrace. Athens: G. C. Eleftheroudakis. [in English]
Dranov, B. A. (1948). Chernomorskye prolyvы. Mezhdunarodno-pravovoi rezhym [Black Sea Straits. International Legal Regime]. Moskva: Yurydycheskoe yzdatelstvo Mynysterstva yustytsyy SSSR. [in Russian]
Goschen – Grey. Berlin, November 7, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 150, 149–150. [in English]
Goshen – Grey. Berlin, November 22, 1912, British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, II, 51, 187–188. [in English]
Greek – Bulgarian Alliance, 16/29 May, 1912. The Art of the Possible: Documents on Great Power Diplomacy 1814 – 1914. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 1996, 365. [in English]
Grey – Bertie. Foreign Office, December 11, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, ІІ, 372, 278–279. [in English]
Grey – Buchanan. Foreign Office, November 4, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 122, 95. [in English]
Grey – Buchanan. Forеign Office, November 1, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 88, 72–73. [in English].
Grey – Buchanan. Forеign Office, November 7, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 145, 110–111. [in English]
Grey – Buchanan. Forеign Office, Oсtober 22, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, I Vol. X, II, 56, 43–45. [in English]
Grey – Buchanan. London, April 7, 1913. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 815, 660–661. [in English]
Grey – Paget. Forеign Office, November 6, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, I, 142, 108–109. [in English]
Hauser, M. H. (1929). Histoire diplomatique de l’Europe (1871 – 1914) [Diplomatic History of Europe (1871 – 1914)]. Paris: Less Press Universitaires. [in French]
Honchar, B. M. (2004). Balkanski viiny 1912 – 13. [Balkan Wars of 1912 – 13]. Ukrainska dyplomatychna entsyklopediia v 2 t. redkol. L.V. Huberskyi (holova), V.A. Verhun, V I. Holovchenko. (Vol. 1, pp. 100–101). Kyiv: Znannia Ukrainy. [in Ukrainian]
Immanuel, F. (1913). Balkanskaya voyna 1912 goda [Balkan War of 1912]. San-Peterburg. [in Russian].
Iskenderov, P. A. (2003). Balkanskie voyny 1912 – 1913 gg. [Balkan wars 1912 – 13]. V “porokhovom pogrebe” Yevropy 1878 – 1914 gg. (pp. 476–507). Moskva: “Indrik”. [in Russian]
Iskenderov, P. A. (2003). Rozhdenie albanskogo gosudarstva [The birth of the Albanian state]. V “porokhovom pogrebe” Yevropy 1878 – 1914 gg. (pp. 430–452). Moskva: “Indrik”. [in Russian]
Istoriya diplomatii. (1963). Istoriya diplomatii v 5 t. [Нistory of diplomacy in 5 vol.]. redkol. V.A. Zorin, V.S. Semenov, S.D. Skazkin (Vol. 2.). Moskva: Gospolitizdat. [in Russian]
Iswolski – Sasonow. Paris, den 26 März, 8 April, 1913. Der Diplomatische Schriftwechsel Iswolskis 1911 – 1914. Berlin: Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft fur Politik und Geschichte, 1924, B. 3, 826, 120–121. [in German]
Iswolskі – Sasonow. Paris, den 9/22 Mai, 1913. Der Diplomatische Schriftwechsel Iswolskis 1911 – 1914. Berlin: Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft fur Politik und Geschichte, 1924, B. 3, 890, 163–164. [in German]
Kiderlen – Jagow. Berlin, den 20 November, 1912. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 33, 2398, 362–363. [in German]
Kosik, P. A. (2003). Bolgariya: primirenie s Rossiey i provozglashenie nezavisimosti [Bulgaria: reconciliation with Russia and declaration of independence]. V “porokhovom pogrebe” Yevropy 1878 – 1914 gg. (pp. 415–416). Moskva: “Indrik”. [in Russian]
Kostrikova, Ye. G. (1999). Borba za peresmotr statusa Prolivov v nachale XX v. [Struggle to Revise the Status of the Straits at the Beginning of the XXth Century]. Rossiya i Chernomorskie prolivy (XVIII – XX stoletiya). Moskva: Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya. [in Russian]
Kutsyk, R. R. (2022). Patriots & Critics: the Story of how Public Receptions of World War I in the Russian Empire Changed. Skhidnoievropeiskyi istorychnyi visnyk – East European Historical Bulletin, 22, 64–81. Doi: https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058X.22.253732 [in English]
Lichnowsky – Auswärtige Amt. London, den 11 April, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 34(2), 13140, Notеz 1, 669–670. [in German]
Lichnowsky – Auswärtige Amt. London, den 6 Januar, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 34(1), 12630, 143–144. [in German].
Lichnowsky – Auswärtige Amt. London, den 7 Januar, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914. B. 34(1), 12634, 148–150. [in German]
Lowther – Grey. Constantinople, November 4, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, B. IX, I, 120, 94–95. [in English]
Lyman, I. І. & Konstantinova, V. М. (2019). British Consulates in Port Cities of the Northern Black sea and Azov Region of the Second Half of the 19th – early 20th Centuries. Skhidnoievropeiskyi istorychnyi visnyk – East European Historical Bulletin, 12, 44–53. Doi: https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058x.12.178904 [in English]
Macfie, A. L. (1993). The Straits Question 1908 – 36. Thessaloniki: Institute for Balkan Studies Saloniki. [in English]
Nicolson – Buchanan. Forеign Office, Oсtober 22, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914. Vol. IX, II, 57, 44–45. [in English]
Paget – Grey. Belgrade, November 2, 1912. British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898 – 1914, Vol. IX, II, 101, 82–83. [in English]
Phillipson, C. & Buxton, N. (1917). The Question of Bosphorus and Dardanelles. London: Stevens and Haynes. [in English]
Pisarev, Yu. A. (1984). Balkany mezhdu mirom i voynoy (Londonskie konferentsii 1912 – 1913 gg.) [The Balkans Between Peace and War (London Conferences 1912 – 1913)]. Novaya i noveyshaya istoriya, 4, 63–79. [in Russian]
Poincaré – G. Luis. Paris, 17 février 1912. Documents diplomatiques français (1871 – 1914), Serie 3, Vol. II, 48, 41–42. [in French]
Pokrovskiy, M. N. (1931). Imperialisticheskaya voyna: sb. Statey [Imperialist War: Collection of articles]. Moskva: Izd. Kommunisticheskoy Akademii. [in Russian]
Potiekhin, О. V. (2021). Pro prychyny pershoyi svitovoyi vijny: polemichni notatky [About the Causes of the World War I: Polemic Notes]. Pages of history: collection of scientific works, 52, 153–170. Doi: https://doi.org/10.20535/2307-5244.52.2021.236158 [in Ukrainian]
Pourtalès – Bethmann Hollweg. St. Petersburg, den 23 November, 1912. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 33, 12427, 395–396. [in German]
Sazonov – Demidov. Peterburg, 3(16) oktyabrya 1912 g. [Sazonov – Demidov. Petersburg, 3(16) October 1912]. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya v epokhu imperializma: Seriya 2, 1940, Vol. 20, 2, 1050: 14 avgusta – 17 oktyabrya 1912 g. Podgot. k pech. L.A. Telesheva pri uchastii E.S. Altshuler i Ye.M. Glyazer. Moskva–Leningrad: Gos. izd-vo polit. literatury. [in Russian]
Serb – Bolgarian Alliance, 29 February / 13 March 1912. The Art of the Possible: Documents on Great Power Diplomacy 1814 – 1914. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 1996, 365. [in English]
Serb – Montenegrin Alliance, 23 September / 6 October, 1912. The Art of the Possible: Documents on Great Power Diplomacy 1814 – 1914. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 1996, 366. [in English]
Sokolovskaya, O. V. (2003). Gretsiya v sisteme mezhdunarodnykh otnosheniy 1897 – 1913 gg. i rossiyskaya diplomatiya [Greece in the system of international relations 1897–1913 and Russian diplomacy]. V “porokhovom pogrebe” Yevropy 1878 – 1914 gg. (pp. 461–462). Moskva: “Indrik”. [in Russian]
Tortika, M. V. (2021). O.L. Рarvus ta yoho vplyv na rozvytok livykh syl v osmanskij imperyi naperedodni Pershoyi svitovoyi vijny [O.L. Parvus and its Influence on Development Left Forces in the Ottoman Empire on the Eve of the World War I]. The Oriental Studies, 88, 105–131. Doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/skhodoznavstvo2021.88.105 [in Ukrainian]
Treutler – Auswärtige Amt. Homburg, den 13 April, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 34(2), 13149, 678–679. [in German]
Tupolev, B. M. (2003). Germanskaya politika na Balkanakh nakanune pervoy mirovoy voyny [German Policy in the Balkans on the Eve of World War I]. V “porokhovom pogrebe” Yevropy 1878 – 1914 gg. Moskva: “Indrik”, 286–287. [In Russian]
Vakoliuk, T. O. (2006). Balkanska polityka Rosii 1908 – 1913 rr. [Vakolyuk to Balkan Policy of Russia 1908 – 1913]. (Candidate’s thesis). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian]
Zimmerman – Lucius. Berlin, den 9 Januar, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 34(1), 12643, 157–158. [in German]
Zimmerman – Tschirchky. Berlin, den 4 Januar, 1913. Die Große Politik der Europäischen Kabinette 1871 – 1914, B. 34(1), 12611, 124–125. [in German]
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
