The Rise Of Australasia - Chapter 365

Chapter 365: Chapter 313: Balkan War Flames_2

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Almost all the Powers were concerned about this, but all the Powers also unanimously took the attitude of sitting back and watching the development of the Balkan situation.

For the European powers, it would put them at a disadvantage to take the field personally unless it was a critical moment.

No one knew whether the fire burning in the Balkans would spread to themselves. For the European powers, who were not yet fully prepared for war, this was naturally unacceptable.

At this time, the major European powers were like onlookers, quietly but highly anticipating the development of the Balkan situation.

Without disappointing these onlookers, another strong country in the Balkan, Serbia, stepped forward, demanding that Turkey recognize the autonomy of the Macedonian region and compensate for the previous oppression of various ethnicities in the Balkan region.

With the two most powerful countries making their positions clear, the remaining Balkan Allies naturally could not be idle.

On February 19th, Greece and Mendinero successively stated their positions, demanding that Turkey recognize the autonomy of the Macedonian region, and specifically declaring that if there is no response within a week, it will be considered a rejection of this resolution.

This ultimatum, which specifically states the time limit, can also be regarded as the final preparation being carried out by the Balkan countries.

On February 26th, after the Ottoman Turkish government remained silent for a week, the Bulgarian government declared a nationwide military mobilization.

Only one day later, on February 27th, the Serbian government, the Greek government, and the Montenegrin government successively announced the total mobilization of their national military forces.

Starting from February 27th, the armies of the Balkan Allied nations began to gather at the Turkish border, and various weapons, ammunition, and equipment supplies were quickly transported to the front line.

On the Turkish side, they had to deploy their forces in the European area and inquire about the attitudes of the European powers as much as possible.

However, to the disappointment of the Turkish government, the European powers only offered verbal sympathy and support. Beyond that, they advised both parties to remain calm without taking any practical action.

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On February 29th, a day that could only be encountered once every four years, the Balkan Alliance’s troops and the Turkish army clashed at the border for the first time, with dozens of casualties on both sides, marking the arrival of war.

On March 1st, 1912, the Kingdom of Bulgaria took the lead in declaring war on Turkey. Immediately after, on March 2nd, Montenegro declared war on the Turkish government, followed by Serbia and Greece, and the Balkan War fully broke out.

According to the previous agreement of the Balkan League treaty, Bulgaria dispatched 300,000 troops, Serbia 220,000, Greece 115,000, and Montenegro 35,000, totaling 670,000 troops.

On the Turkish side, although the Turkish army was not small, the maximum number of troops they could deploy was only about 350,000, limited by the constraints of the Italo-Turkish War.

The gap in military strength between the two sides was already significant. Moreover, the Balkan nations had been preparing for this war for a long time, while the consumption of the Italo-Turkish War left the domestic situation in Turkey more exhausted, resulting in an unstoppable offensive by the Balkan nations.

In terms of attack direction, Bulgaria, which deployed the most troops, chose to head south, occupying eastern Macedonia and Sevres, and attacking Constantinople.

Meanwhile, Serbia chose to head south to occupy northern Macedonia, expanding its territory and also competing for a sea outlet.

Although Serbia had the ambition to rise and establish a Greater Slavic Serbia, it was essential to have a sea outlet to become a strong country. Prior to this, Serbia was a completely landlocked country, bordered by Austro-Hungarian Empire to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, Montenegro to the west, and Turkey to the south.

The main purpose of this expansion to the south was to gain a sea outlet.

As for Greece, which is located at the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula, it naturally expanded northwards to reclaim the southern Macedonian region.

As for Montenegro, which has the weakest strength, their choices were limited, and they could only expand slightly to the east. After all, the country’s strength also determined how much land they could swallow.

In fact, from the direction of each country’s attack, it can be seen that their ultimate goal was certainly not to promote the autonomy of Macedonia, but to divide Macedonia into three parts.

Bulgaria and Greece would gain more territory, Serbia would obtain a sea outlet, and Montenegro would carry out a small-scale expansion. This was the plan to divide the spoils that the Balkan Alliance had discussed earlier.

Due to the advantages in numbers and equipment, and seizing the initiative, the expansion of the countries went smoothly. In just a few weeks, the Ottoman Turkish Empire lost more than half of its European territory.

During this expansion, Britain supported Greece, and Russia supported Serbia.

However, at the same time, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had conflicts with Serbia, was paying attention to Serbia’s expansion. They did not allow a threatening enemy to appear beside them.

With the development of the war, the focus of the Powers shifted to the direction of Bulgaria’s attack.

In terms of importance, the most crucial area for Turkey in the Balkan Peninsula was naturally Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

Historically, Constantinople was the capital of the previous Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, with thousands of years of history and culture and considered one of the holy lands for Eastern Orthodox believers.