Balkan tensions led to the First World War:
a. The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro whose inhabitants were broadly known as the Slavs.
b. As the different Slavic nationalities struggled to define their identity and independence, the Balkan area became an area of intense conflict.
c. The Balkan states were fiercely jealous of each other and each hoped to gain more territory at the expense of the others. d. Matters were further complicated because the Balkans also became the scene of big power rivalry.
d. Each power – Russia, Germany, England, Austro-Hungary – was keen on countering the hold of other powers
over the Balkans, and extending its own control over the area. This eventually led to the First World War.