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Prior to and following the outbreak of the First World War, the Balkans were considered to be the "powder keg of Europe." This is due to the overlapping alliances of the strongest nations and the volatility in that particular region. One significant action could, and, with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, did, ignite a world war.

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10y ago
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12y ago

Prior to WWI, the Balkan Peninsula just achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire. So there was a surge in nationalism and multiple countries formed (Greece, Albania, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.). There was also rivalry between Austria-Hungary and the Slavs (mostly Serbians and Russians) as well as the Balkan states and the Ottoman Empire (Bulgaria was on Turkey's side, however).

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Q: Why were the Balkans considered the power keg of Europe?
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What was the nickname given to the Balkans by 1914 because of tensions between nations?

powder keg of europe


Why was the balkan region called the powder keg of Europe?

Prior to (and in fact since) World War I, the Balkans region of Europe was called its "Powder Keg" because of the many different competing nationalities and ethnic groups and allegiances contained in it. With major European powers only indirectly involved in the intrigues and hostilities of the Balkans, it came to be said that a match lit in that region could set fire to the "powder" and thus cause an explosion that would impact the entire continent -- and even beyond.


How much is a keg of powder?

The price of a keg of powder can vary depending on the type of powder and where you are purchasing it from. It can range from around $100 to several hundred dollars. It is best to contact a local supplier or check online for specific pricing.


What was the most dangerous result of the alliances between the Great Powers in the lead up to world war 1?

Before World War I, the various alliances in the Balkan region led to it being called the Powder Keg of Europe. Rampant nationalism created a volatile, dangerous situation which culminated in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, resulting in the first World War.


What started ww11?

World War II was, in essence, fighting to resolve the things left unsettled by the conclusion of World War I. Each of the powers fighting in World War II had different objectives that they wanted to uphold, which typically clashed with what the powers on the other side of the political alliance wanted, which in turn helped lead to the buildup of tensions that led to the start of the war.Germany had lost much territory, respect, and economic opportunity after World War I. Adolf Hitler, backed by the Nazi party, came to power in 1931 promising to restore Germany to her former glory and beyond. He began rebuilding the German military, violating the Treaty of Versailles; this upset the other European powers, however they did not want another world war and so for the most part allowed Hitler to continue his work. In 1939 Hitler began putting his new military to use, reconquering small territories and countries previously owned by Germany prior to World War I. The rest of Europe was greatly offended, yet still hesitant to go to war. Hitler invaded Poland later that year in September. At this point Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Holland determined that war was inevitable, and thus declared war on Germany. However it was another few months since Germany and these powers came into conflict, since the allies were still extremely hesitant to fight; they were also overconfident in their pre-world war I tactics, which involved stationary fighting.Various things really;- The financially crushing impact of reparations that Germany had to pay from WW-1- The Appeasement of Adolph Hitler by other European leaders- The spanish civil war- The German nations need to expand- Adolf Hitlers intolerance for other races- and many othersA number of aspects all contributed to the outbreak of World War II.For one, after the closing of World War I, Germany was treated extremely unfairly by the world in the Treaty of Versailles. Their country was essentially pushed to the ground and treated like dirt. Completely stripped of pride and their former Imperial glory. Germans, as you can guess...were not happy about this.Adolf Hitler came along with the National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) and spoke of redeeming Germany to its former military and economic strength. You have to understand, the Germans were a very proud people, and were angered beyond repair by their treatment. They were also having economic struggles, which Hitler promised he would repair with strong and reassuring speeches. He told them of the glory and honor he would bring back to them, and how he could bring Germany back to its former strength and beyond!The people fell in love with his strong and charismatic speeches, and so in 1933, he was elected Chancellor of Germany. From 1933-1939 Hitler planned to invade Poland and other ex-German territories. He built up a massive Army of nearly 6 million volunteers, trained, and disciplined them into an elite, unstoppable war-machine. Then when the chance came along, he invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. Britain and France then declared war on Germany, as Poland was their ally. This officially marked the beginning of the Second World War.with the German invasion of PolandThe build-up to WWII was done on several fronts: Hitler had claimed parts of Czechoslovakia and invaded it without outbreak of global war, and Austria was annexed to Germany 1938. The Germans said that they wanted justice for the "harsh peace treaty of WWI" in Versailles by the Entente powers, e.g. restoring former German territories and "Lebensraum" especially where many Germanspeakers lived. That was one of the reasons Hitler was elected in the first place. Italy had conquered African territories and Japan had been warring in China/Manchuria since early 30s. These three made a tripartite "Axis pact" as a continuation of the "pact of steel" (Hitler & Mussolini). Stalin-Soviet claimed parts of Finland in the summer of 1939 mobilising at the border. According to the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, Poland was to be divided between Hitler and Stalin. Also Mussolini was prepared to launch war. Adolf Hitler gave the order for German troops to attack Poland in the morning of 1/9 1939, announced as a "retaliation to Polish aggression". Following the pact, thus the Red Army soon invaded Poland, simultaneously with the Wehrmacht, and then Finland 30/11. As the UK and France had a defense agreement with Poland, the WWII was a fact when these declared war against Germany 3/9, and the war started to become global. Unfortunatly they did little in the first few months of the war. Most countries were neutral in the beginning, trying to escape the hell of war, but in 1940 most of Europe was affected and largely under German rule. So in June 1941 it was basically Britain with its commonwealth that stood alone against Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and Hirohito, when France was ruled by nazifriendly Pétain. But Britain's involvement in Africa and Asia brought this conflict to the colonial areas where Italy and Japan were expanding, e.g. Egypt and Burma, making it truly global in 1941 and not only on European soil. Hitler and Stalin had been discussing in 1940 how to divide the British territories between them but that ended with operation Barbarossa. Even to the end in 1945 countries went on declaring war, e.g. Soviet against Japan.Consequently responsibility for WWII is shared between the Axis powers and the WWI entente creating grudge to the Germans allowing Hitler to have support. Actually many people outside Germany supported the antisemitic policies and Hitler's way of creating "order" in the country, so clash was between territorial interests more than ideologies in the beginning. Racism was strong in France, USA, Soviet, Spain, Hungary, Romania, Sweden etc (even Britons can be accused) and Stalin taught Hitler how to run concentration camps. So responsibility is also shared by all people knowing about the national socialist ideology and not speaking out protests publicly, because war and mass killing of Jews could be predicted through "Mein Kampf".To put it symply the trigger of ww2 would have been Germany invadeing Poland.The Second World War was started because of Hitler's policy of "living space", expansionist ideas and his hate of other European countries. He also wanted to bring Germany up to its pre-WW1 glory.