The First Balkan Alliance, 1866-1868

Abstract

The Balkan alliance system of 1912 was one of the most important political developments in the modern Balkan history. Before the Balkan wars, the Balkan states formed the alliances between them (Serbia-Bulgaria, Bulgaria-Greece and Montenegro-Bulgaria-Serbia). They defeated the Ottoman Empire in the First Balkan War with the help of these alliances. This article examines the First Balkan Alliance of 1866-68 which was regarded as a kind of rehearsal or a historical proto-example of the alliance system of 1912, and which was formed by the Serbian Prince Mihail Obrenovich and his minister of foreign affairs Ilija Garasanin. The main goal of alliance system was to eliminate the Ottoman Empire from the Balkans. In this context, Serbia signed the alliance treaties with Montenegro in September 1866 with the Bulgarian Secret Central Committee in January 1867, with Greece in August 1867 and with Romania in January 1868. Although the 1866-68 alliance system was not able to achieve its main goal due to some local, regional and continental reasons, it had remained in the minds of Balkan political leaders. When they found a more suitable political and military atmosphere in 1912, they immediately revitalized the alliance of 1866-68.

Keywords

• Balkanlar
• Osmanlı İmparatorluğu
• Sırbistan
• Rusya
• Diplomasi
• Siyasi Tarih
• İliya Garaşanin
• Mihail Obrenoviç