Балканский полуостров в 1912–1913 годы и обострение ситуации накануне Первой мировой войны

Abstract

The key issues of increasing international tension on the Balkan Peninsula before the First World War are considered. The subject of the study is the Balkan Peninsula, located at the crossroads of civilizations, which has been the sphere of geopolitical interests of various coalitions for thousands of years. The Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 are presented as a pivotal moment in the history of the peninsula in the 20th century. First of all, the process of national liberation of the territories of the Balkans from Ottoman rule, as well as the process of military actions aimed at gaining independence, is considered. The article analyzes the importance played by the countries of the Balkan peninsula during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, and also shows the actions of these countries to form the moods they need to achieve the greatest territorial gains. At the same time, the role of the great powers, primarily Russia, in the process of the Balkan conflicts is analyzed. The chronicle of the foreign policy events of the early 20th century related to Russia's participation in the solution of the Balkan issue is researched. On the basis of publications of that time, the existing image of Bulgaria and Serbia is reconstructed, an attempt is made to restore the real picture of the life of these states on the eve of the First World War and its features, to understand the peculiarity of Westernization “in the Balkan way”. The complex of the two Balkan wars of 1912-1913 is considered primarily as a basis for the development of the future conflictogenicity of the region, which led to the First World War.