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Two successive military conflicts that deprived the Ottoman Empire of almost all its
remaining territory in Europe. The First Balkan War was fought between the members of the
Balkan League--Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro--and the Ottoman Empire.
The people of Balkan states had suffered a long and cruel yoke for 5 centuries. The ottomans
deprived of any trace of civilization and culture, considered their christian subjects
as second class citizens (rayas = beast) and used them just to work and to pay taxes.
Christian people hated their previous masters and wanted back the territories which
belonged to them before Seljuk turks' invasion in 12th century.
The christian league was able to field a combined force of 750,000 men.
Montenegro opened hostilities by declaring war on Turkey on Oct. 8, 1912,
and the other members of the league followed suit 10 days later.
The Balkan allies were soon victorious. In Thrace, the Bulgarians defeated the main Ottoman
forces, advancing to the outskirts of Constantinople (now Istanbul) and laying siege to
Adrianople. In Macedonia, the Serbian army achieved a great victory at Kumanovo
that enabled it to capture Bitola and to join forces with the Montenegrins and enter
Skopje and Monastirion.
The Greeks, with crown prince Constantine as its Commander-in-Chief,
freed Elassona, Katerini, Grevena and Kozani, and later liberated Thessaloniki
in October 27, 1912, which had stayed for 5 centuries under barbaric occupation.
The decisive battles took place in Sarantaporo (October 9) and Giannitsa (October 19).
Later a crucial battle took place in Bizanion (February 20-21) and same day Esat Pasha
surrendered the historical city of Ioannina, which was surrounded by the greek forces.
Also Argyrokastro and Koritsa of northern Epirus were liberated. Under a peace
treaty signed in London on May 30, 1913, the Ottoman Empire lost almost all of
its remaining European territory. Albania became independent state.
The Second Balkan War began when Serbia, Greece, and Romania quarreled with Bulgaria over
the division of their joint conquests in Macedonia. On June 1, 1913, Serbia and Greece
formed an alliance against Bulgaria, and the war began on the night of June 29/30, 1913,
when King Ferdinand of Bulgaria ordered his troops to attack Serbian and Greek forces in
Macedonia. Greek army after winning the battles of Kilkis-Lahanas (June 19-21), Tzoumagia (July 15-18),
liberated Kavala, Alexandroupolis, Xanthi and Komotini. So Greece and Serbia divided up most of
Macedonia between themselves, leaving Bulgaria with only a small part of the region.
Second Balkan War ended with the Treaty of Bucharest on August 1913.
As a result of the Balkan Wars, Greece gained southern Macedonia as well as the island of Crete.
Serbia gained the Kosovo region and extended into northern and central Macedonia. Albania
was made an independent state under a German prince. The political consequences of the wars
were considerable. Bulgaria, frustrated in Macedonia, looked to Austria for support, while
Serbia, which had been forced by Austria to give up its Albanian conquests, regarded Vienna
with greater hostility than ever. The heightened tensions in the Balkans reached their climax
in World War I, which was sparked by the assassination of the Austrian heir-apparent by a Serb
in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914.
