None of the treaties of 1904 and 1907 had direct reference to European affairs. They merely removed old sources of friction in other parts of the world. Nevertheless they cleared the way for the establishment of an Entente Cordiale of far-reaching efficacy. The new spirit of friendship and co-operation between Britain, France, and Russia was manifested in the Balkan crisis of 1908, and in the Agadir crisis of 1911. It was evident that, opposed to the Triple Alliance, there had come into existence a new 'diplomatic group' which, though bound by no formal ties, was held together by the menace of German militarism.

XVII. THE BALKAN LEAGUE, 1912

In these conditions of unstable equilibrium, any disturbance of the European balance was fraught with extreme danger. The first actual breach of the peace was made by Italy in 1911. Protesting against the treatment of her subjects in Tripoli, she declared war upon Turkey, and after a year of conflict forced the Sultan to make peace by the cession of Tripoli. The whole episode was distasteful to the Central Empires. On the one hand it seemed to indicate the crumbling of the Triple Alliance; on the other it resulted in a serious weakening of the Turkish power, which both AustriaHungary and Germany had been for some time assiduously fostering. The reason why Turkey, who was far from being beaten in Tripoli, made her sudden and complete surrender in October 1912 was that she had just received an ultimatum respecting Macedonia from Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece, acting in unison. The Governments of these countries-and particularly M. Geshoff in Bulgaria,

1 Treaty of Lausanne, 18 October 1912; see Martens, Nouveau Recueil, 3rd Series (1907-14), vol. vii, pp. 3 sqq.

M. Pashich in Serbia, and M. Venizelos in Greece-had recognized that Turkey's embroilment with Italy presented to them a golden opportunity not only to evict the alien Ottoman power from Europe, but also to place a strong Balkan federation in the way of the formidable Austro-German Drang nach Osten, which threatened to reduce the isolated Balkan States in turn to vassalage. The foundation of the Balkan League was laid by a Bulgaro-Serbian treaty signed on February 29/March 13, followed by a military convention concluded on June 19/ July 2, 1912. Next came a Greco-Bulgarian treaty completed May 16/29, 1912, supplemented by a military convention on September 22/October 5, 1912.1 The conclusion of these treaties and conventions was followed by the presentation of the ultimatum and the commencement of the first Balkan war. Montenegro made a treaty with Serbia in September 1912, arranging for military co-operation, and was the first to commence the struggle by a declaration of war against Turkey, issued independently on October 8.

The military success of the League exceeded both the most sanguine hopes of its members and the most gloomy fears of the Central Empires. The collapse of Turkey was rapid and almost complete. The diplomatic intervention of Austria, however, saved her from the extremity of disaster, and shattered the unity of the Balkan League. Austria (supported by Italy) made it clear that Serbia would not be allowed to keep Albania, which she had conquered, or to retain access to the Adriatic. Austria, moreover, encouraged Bulgaria to refuse Serbia's consequent demand for compensation in Macedonia, and increased facilities for

6

1 These documents are given with comments in The Aspirations of Bulgaria, by Balkanicus', an anonymous but obviously wellinformed Serbian. An English translation of this work was issued in London in 1915.

access to the Aegean. Hence the disruption of the League, the second Balkan war, the discomfiture of Bulgaria, the recovery of Turkey, and the laying of the train for the world-conflict of 1914.

XVIII. THE AGREEMENT OF LONDON, 1914 AND THE ALLIANCE OF 1914-18

The second Balkan war was terminated by the Treaty of Bucarest on August 10, 1913.1 Within a week Austria approached Italy and sought her views respecting an immediate attack upon Serbia. Italy declined to be drawn into an aggressive war, and for the moment the project was abandoned, but only for the moment. The greater Serbia was too serious a barrier to Austro-German expansion towards the East to be allowed to consolidate itself. All through the autumn of 1913 and the early part of 1914 military preparations went on, and nothing but a pretext was needed to precipitate a war. That pretext was afforded by the murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Serajevo on June 28, 1914. The Austrian ultimatum to Serbia was issued on July 23; five days later the first shots were fired.

The Austro-Serbian conflict speedily involved Russia and consequently her ally France. The attitude of Britain was at first uncertain; for she was bound by no formal treaties to come to the aid of either of her two colleagues in the Triple Entente. But various causes, principally the German invasion of Belgium, combined to convert the Entente into a definite military alliance. This was in effect accomplished when Great Britain proclaimed, on August 4, 1914, that a state of war existed. Its formal intimation, however, was reserved for the

1 Martens, Nouveau Recueil, 3rd Series (1907-14), vol. viii, pp. 61 sqq. and Mowat, Select Treaties, p. 121.

following month, when (September 5, 1914) the Agreement of London was signed by representatives of Great Britain, France, and Russia. It ran;

"The British, French, and Russian Governments mutually engage not to conclude peace separately during the present war. The three Governments agree that, when terms of peace come to be discussed, no one of the Allies will demand terms of peace without the previous agreement of each of the other Allies.'

The Triple Alliance thus cemented received, formally or informally, numerous accessions as the war proceeded. The following are the dates of the chief declarations : Serbia, August 6, 1914; Montenegro, August 9, 1914; Japan, August 23, 1914; Italy, May 23, 1915; Portugal, March 9, 1916; Rumania, August 28, 1916; United States of America, April 6, 1917 (speedily followed by Cuba and Panama); Greece, June 29, 1917; Siam, July 22, 1917; China, August 14, 1917; Brazil, October 26, 1917. On the other hand the Central Empires were joined by Turkey on or about November 1, 1914, and by Bulgaria on or about October 15, 1915. In 1915 Japan acceded to the Declaration of September 5, 1914; and on November 30, 1915, the Declaration was renewed between the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. During the course of 1917 many Central and South American States broke off relations with Germany without actually proclaiming a state of war.

Coalitions

AUTHORITIES

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HERTSLET, Sir E., Map of Europe by Treaty, 4 vols., London, 1875-91.

KOCH, C. G. DE, and SCHOELL, M. S. F. Histoire abrégée des traités de paix [to 1815], 15 vols., Paris, 1817-18, and 4 vols., Brussels, 1837-8.

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