The Genesis of a Great Power. 



519 



between them. During the last decades mental bases of a pohtical alliance were drawn up, but 

 conditions have altered in the Balkan Peninsula. "ot signed owing to certain difficulties. 

 The nations have grown more cultivated, and balkam ALLIA^'CE signed in February. 



the humane views of Western Europe have in 

 the Balkans been gaining ground among the 

 more educated classes. Narrow Chauvinism 

 has disappeared and mutual understanding 

 grown. Everyone realised that only by joint 

 action would this wretched status quo be de- 

 stroyed, with its crimes and torments practised 



In 1909, when King Ferdinand came to 

 Mount Kopaonik in Servia, the work of bringing 

 about an alliance was resumed. Last February 

 it was ready, and thus by the mutual efforts of 

 the Balkan States and the advice of some of 

 the Great Powers a machine was built with 

 everything necessary for actual working. No 

 one could, in reason, expect 

 that this machine would not 

 start once it was ready. But 

 the Balkan Alliance was not 

 brought about only ad hoc for 

 this war. Events which might 

 follow the war were foreseen 

 as well. Moreover, it was 

 drawn up for a longer period, 

 and will undoubtedly be of 

 . historical import for the de- 



4s:=s?s==^ velopment of the Balkan 

 Peninsula. The blood which 

 the Balkan peoples are now 

 shedding profusely will help 

 to strengthen the alliance. 

 There are tendencies to break 

 down the barrier between the 

 Servians and the Bulgarians, 

 who are, in fact, one people. 

 We have seen that, before the 

 war, the Note of the Allied 

 Balkan States only demanded 

 elemental rights for their 

 countrymen in Turkey. But if 

 the Balkan States should be 

 successful in war, it seems to 

 us that the status quo ante 

 bellum cannot be re-estab- 

 lished. What is won by war 

 and bloodshed is legitimately 

 acquired- It is in this way 

 that politico - geographical 

 maps have hitherto been 

 altered. An international 

 status quo can only be drawn 

 on the Christian population. We were mosl up after the war. The Allied Balkan States 

 afraid that the " interested Great Powers," and have already a kind of anticipated plebiscite for 

 Austria in particular, would meddle again and this, for the bulk of the inhabitants of Turkey 

 bring about an understanding like that of Reich- have announced their eagerness to be included 

 stadt, 1876, and of Budapest in 1877. The motto in the Balkan States. 



q F, f-^Of^f^ELL 



Map showing territory destined to be included in Servia and 

 Montenegro as a result cf the war. 



of " The Balkans for the Balkan peoples " 

 passed into the general consciousness. We were 

 advised to an understanding and an alliance 

 both iSy the majority of European Powers and 

 by the Russian and Western European Press. 



AFTER THE WAR WHAT? 



Nevertheless, we are all anxious about what 

 may supervene at the close of the war. For it 

 will have cost an enormous sacrifice of human 



The first attempt at an alliance between Bui- lives. As might have been expected, Turkey 

 garia and Servia was made in 1904, when a is making a heroic fight. After some minor 

 Customs' agreement was adopted and when the preliminary engagements, Belgrade is already 



