What were the significant reasons for tension in the Balkans?
What will be an ideal response?
The territories of the Balkans were caught in the tensions among three large empires: Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. All three were seeking to gain the territories of the Balkans at the expense of one another and for different reasons. The Ottoman Empire had possession of these territories but was declining in power. Russia had both cultural affiliation with their Slavic counterparts and popular support in its empire for the Pan-Slavic ideology. Further, Russia feared being cut off from access to the Mediterranean, a potential disaster following destruction of its naval forces in the Russo-Japanese War. The Austria occupied a number of territories near its eastern border and had annexed Bosnia-Herzogovina in 1908, but it struggled with the various nationalist movements of component states in their empire. Several Ottoman territories had gained independence, including Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Albania. This served as an example for the remaining Balkan states to work more strongly toward their own independence. Religious loyalties added to the tensions because the people of the Balkans were Eastern Orthodox (except for Albania, which had large numbers of Roman Catholics and Muslims), whereas the Ottomans were Muslim. There were contested borders among all of the states. A series of Balkan Wars broke out in 1912 and 1913, but these were quickly suppressed. These roots of discord in the Balkans led Gavrilo Princeps to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which resulted in the initiation of World War I in 1914.
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In the South, social prestige and influence were determined by
A) birth order and family heritage. B) ties to prominent, English families. C) class and caste. D) the region of the South where one lived. E) the amount of land one owned.
The entry of the United States into World War I in April 1917
A) gave the nearly-defeated Allied Powers a psychological boost. B) was greatly feared by the German naval staff. C) was a response to Turkey's entrance into the war on the side of the Central Powers. D) put an end to Germany's use of unlimited submarine warfare. E) was an attempt to keep Russia in the war after the February Revolution.
In 1912, William Howard Taft
a. made effective use of the patronage to ensure his renomination. b. secured the Republican nomination by sweeping the primary elections. c. had little support among southern blacks. d. countered Roosevelt’s “New Nationalism” by proclaiming the “New Common Decency.” e. came in second to Wilson.
While most African Americans remained loyal to the United States:
A) some attempted to fight for the Japanese. B) black antiwar activism prompted an FBI crackdown. C) many still refused to join the military. D) FDR had to work diligently to maintain black support.