Answer
• Ethnic Variation: The Balkans was a region of ethnic and geographical variations that consisted of modern-day Albania, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Serbia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. The inhabitants of this region are commonly known as the Slavs.
• Disintegration of Ottoman Empire: A large part of the Balkans was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. All through the nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire had sought to strengthen itself through modernisation and internal reforms but with very little success. The spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism in the Balkans together with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made this region very unstable.
• Difference in Identity: The Balkan peoples based their claims for independence on nationality and used history to prove that they had once been independent but had subsequently been subjugated by foreign powers. Therefore, the rebellious nationalities in the Balkans thought of their struggles as attempts to win back their long-lost independence.
• Jealousy: The Balkan states were fiercely jealous of each other and each hoped to gain more territory at the expense of the others.
• European Powers: During this period, there was intense rivalry among the European powers over trade and colonies as well as naval and military power. Each power – Russia, Germany, England, Austro-Hungary was keen on countering the hold of other powers over the Balkans, and extending its own control over the area. This led to a series of wars in the region and finally the First World War.