Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century, experienced a crisis.
Characteristics of the conflict in the Balkans Balkan Peninsula, an ethnically and religiously diverse, many politicians recognize a particularly volatile region, which could explode the war, and global. Numerous small Balkan states, formed after the removal of Turkish influence, sought to broaden the expense of its neighbors. In addition, the receipts in the Balkans compete Austro-Hungary, supported by Germany and Russia, which after defeat in the war with Japan to look for easier and closer towards the expansion. Petersburg supported the idea of unification of the Slavs in the Balkans under the leadership of Orthodox Serbia. This small country, with three million inhabitants, from agriculture-based economy, became the closest ally of Russia Balkans. The Agreement Russian poses a serious threat to the multinational monarchy Habsburg family, which lived up to seven million Balkan Slavs. In 1908, when occupied Hungary in 1878 after years Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Balkans, threatening the outbreak of war. Although Russia protested, but after the defeat of Japan was not ready for a new war.