A HABSBURG MONARCHIA ÉS A BALKÁN A 19. SZÁZADBAN A NAGY KELETI VÁLSÁG (1875–1878) LEZÁRULÁSÁIG
THE HABSBURG MONARCHY AND THE BALKANS IN THE 19TH CENTURY UNTIL THE END OF THE GREAT EASTERN CRISIS (1875–1878)

Summary/Abstract: Among the geopolitical events of the 19th century, the issue of the Balkan Peninsula plays an indispensable role. In the first half of the century – characterized by national awakenings and the weakening of Ottoman forces – the region had already attracted the interest of the Central European monarchy. Events unfolding in the early 19th century, along with the Crimean War (1853–1856), triggered changes in the Monarchy’s foreign policy. The decade following the Treaty of Paris was marked by crisis, continuing with a defeat against the Italians (1859), and the situation only worsened in subsequent years. Following the defeat in the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and the unification of Germany (1871), the newly established dualist state (1867) increasingly focused on the developments in the Balkans. The Habsburgs ultimately saw expansion into the southern part of the continent as a way out of their foreign policy crisis. This culminated in the outbreak of the Great Eastern Crisis (1875) and its subsequent military operations. During the three year diplomatic and geopolitical crisis, the region became a focal point not only for the imperial policies of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Russia but also for the foreign policies of the major powers of Central and Western Europe. – This study aims to present the Central European monarchy’s reactions to the crises and the changes in its foreign policy course, highlighting specific events within the broader context of European diplomatic efforts and illustrating the strategies of the other great powers. The period, ending with the decisions of the Berlin Congress (1878), saw the success of the independence aspirations of the nations living in the Balkans – Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia gained independence as a result of the Congress’s decisions–thus opening a new chapter not only in the history of the Dual Monarchy but also in that of the European continent.

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