good neighbourly relations with the monarchy, and to reduce her army to the footing of the previous year (1908). In so doing Serbia submitted to the behest of the signatory Powers, but at the same time to the will of Austria-Hungary. Montenegro there- upon followed suit. The event was a victory for Aehrenthal, but a pyrrhic victory, in that through it was effected the cleavage of Europe into two hostile camps. Russia now broke definitely with Austria-Hungary and became increasingly hostile to German policy, while England recognized with increasing clearness the significance of the Southern Slavs in the struggle against Ger- many, and especially of Serbia as a battering-ram against Germany's ally, the Habsburg Monarchy.
Two other events led to a further strengthening of the Triple
Entente. One was the rapprochement between Russia and Italy,
made manifest by Nicholas II. 's visit to Racconigi
Triple En- (Oct. 24 1909); the other was the secret treaty con-
'eoforced eluded in Dec. 1909 between Russia and Bulgaria,
' . which ranged the latter in the Russian sphere of
influence, and contained among other things the declaration that
the realization of the ideals of the Slav peoples in the Balkan
peninsula would only be possible after a favourable outcome of
Russia's contest with Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Yet at this time these opposi'ng tendencies did not come out into the open. The Central Powers sought rather to overcome 4 h them. At the beginning of the year 1910 negotiations
that's took place with Russia which were intended to further Efforts tor the establishment of better relations. After hopeful preliminaries they split on the irreconcilability of their conflicting interests. Aehrenthal's efforts at Rome seemed to meet with more success. He was able at the end of 1909 to arrive at an agreement with the Italian statesmen on the Alba- nian question, by which further friction between the two states, who were rivals in this quarter, should be avoided. In subsequent conversations which he held on frequent occasions in 1910 with the Italian Foreign Minister, San Giuliano, measures were con- sidered which should smooth the way towards the establishment of friendly relations between the Cabinets of Vienna and Rome. In the years 1910 and 1911, moreover, Aehrenthal was eagerly striving to do everything for the maintenance of peace. He en- deavoured to reconcile the differences which were forever crop- ping up anew between England and Germany. In order to win over Rumania and conciliate Serbia, commercial treaties were concluded with them. In the interest of peace, too, he placed no obstacle in the way of the assumption of the royal style by the Prince of Montenegro (Aug. 29 1910). Yet Aehrenthal kept his aim steadfastly in view: namely, the upholding of Austria-Hungary's interests in the Near East; and he left the Balkan peoples in no doubt that he would not be a peaceful spectator of the downfall of Turkey. He was in a difficult position when, in the autumn of 1911, Italy seized the opportuni- ty for taking possession of Tripoli. A strong party, headed by the chief of the general staff, Conrad von Hb'tzendorff, held that the moment had arrived for coming to a reckoning with their faithless ally. In any case they wanted to use this favourable opportunity for assuring to Austria-Hungary the hegemony of the Balkans. But Aehrenthal, supported by Francis Joseph, stood up for the maintenance of the Triple Alliance. He even held that it was in the interest of the Habsburg Monarchy that Italy's imperialistic aspirations should find satisfaction on the south of the Mediterranean. He therefore asked Italy, in leaving her a free hand in Tripoli, not to interfere with the designs of the Vienna Cabinet in the Balkan peninsula. Also he requested the withdrawal of the Italian fleet from the coast of Albania, and protested against Italian designs on Salonika.
The fact that Aehrenthal gained his ends by these demands confirmed him in the idea that he had hit upon the right way, and Aehreo- increased his hopes of being able to guard Austria- thal Sue- Hungary's interests in this difficult crisis without
ceeded by resorting to arms. Aehrenthal 's death (Feb. 17 1912) BerchtoU. ,.,
was therefore a heavy loss to the Habsburg Monarchy,
which made itself all the more felt since just at that time new dangers were arising for it in S.E. Europe. His successor as
Austro-Hungarian foreign minister was Count Leopold Berch- told, who had formerly been ambassador at St. Petersburg.
The Italo-Turkish War, and especially the closing of the Dardanelles at the instance of the Turks, had done severe harm to Russian trade, and increased the desire of Russian statesmen to gain command of the Black Sea. It was *"
jiii f Balkan
widely held, too, that this was a favourable opportunity League. to bring about a Balkan alliance under Russian leader- ship, which should make it possible for Russia, as protector of the Slav peoples of the Balkans, to take possession of Constantinople. Hartwig, the Russian minister in Belgrade, was particularly active in this direction. Other circles, led by Charykov, the Russian ambassador in Constantinople, thought it possible to attain the same end by other means. They wanted to preserve Turkey, but to make her Russia's vassal. She was to be admitted to the Balkan alliance and, in return, to allow the Russian fleet a free exit to the Mediterranean. But Charykov's efforts failed. Turkey refused; and in March 1912 Charykov had to leave Constantinople. The old plan of forming a Balkan alliance against Turkey was now taken up again. The greatest difficulty in its way was the jealousy between the Bulgarians, on the one hand, and the Serbs and Greeks on the other. Bulgaria would not hear of conceding to these peoples the extensions of territory which they claimed in Macedonia. It was not till March 1912, when the Russophil Gueshoff-Daneff Cabinet came into power in Sofia, that the Serbo-Bulgarian treaty was concluded, which was indeed aimed in the first place against Turkey, but also had the Habsburg Monarchy in view. Two military conventions (of May 12 and July 12 1912) further developed this Serbo-Bulgarian alliance. Bulgaria now undertook, in case Austria-Hungary occupied the Sanjak of Novibazar, to contribute 250,000 men towards a war with this Power. On May 29 Ferdinand of Bulgaria concluded a treaty with Greece against Turkey. But at the same time he handed in peaceful declarations at Vienna, Berlin and Constantinople, and let himself be feted in Vienna as a friend of the Habsburg Monarchy.
At the beginning of July 1912 the Tsar Nicholas II., at his meeting with the German Emperor at Baltiski Port (Port Baltic), in Esthonia, laid stress upon his pacific intentions. But as early as Aug. there began the long- prepared conflict of the Christian peoples of the Balkans with Turkey, leading to bloody local struggles, in which there was no lack of atrocities on either side. In vain did the Central Powers endeavour to bring about an intervention of the Great Powers of Europe. On Sept. 30 1912 the order for mobiliza- tion was issued in Sofia, Belgrade and Athens. In order to have her hands free in this direction, Turkey thereupon determined to bring to an end the war against Italy by sacrificing Tripoli and Cyrenaica, and on Oct. 18 1912 the treaty of peace was signed at Lausanne. In the meantime the Balkan States had completed the last preparations for war. On Oct. 8 Montenegro declared war on Turkey, and soon after, on Oct. 17 and 18, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece did likewise. To the astonishment of the European Great Powers they gained decisive victories over their opponent from the outset. The battle of Kirk Kilisse (Oct. 22) went in favour of the Bulgars, that of Kumanovo (Oct. 26) in favour of the Serbs. The Turkish troops, falling back rapidly, did indeed defend themselves successfully on the Chatalja lines against the oncoming Bulgarians, and thereby saved their threatened capital. But since none of the Great Powers would take active measures in their favour, they could not hope to reconquer the lost provinces. On Dec. 3 1912 an armistice was concluded between Turkey and Serbia, and between Turkey and Bulgaria. Greece took no part in it, but continued the struggle.
The success of the Balkan States against Turkey meant a marked weakening of the prestige of Austria-Hungary in the Balkans. The entry of the Greeks into Salonika Benh- (Nov. 8 1912) and the advance of the Serbian troops tola's to the Adriatic produced a particularly painful im- Bal .f aa pression in Vienna. But consideration for the Slav peoples of the monarchy, who hailed with joy the victory of the Christian states of the Balkans over Turkey, and the dread of
Balkan War.
