Yet, both left a power vacuum in the
Balkan in their sorry wake.
The Big Powers of the time - Russia, Great Britain, France,
Austria-Hungary, and the emerging Germany and Italy - possessed
conflicting interests and sentiments. But, at this stage or another,
most of them (with the exception of Austria-Hungary) supported the
nationalist solution. It was Russia's favourite discussion topic,
France espoused it under Napoleon III, everyone supported the Greeks
and, to a lesser extent, the Serbs against the weakening Ottomans.
The nationalist solution encouraged the denizens of the Balkan to adopt
national identities, to develop national myths, to invent a national
history, and to aspire to establish modern nation-states.
The examples of Germany and, especially, Greece and Italy were often
evoked. For a detailed treatment of this theme - see "Herzl's Butlers".
The competing solution was reform. The two Balkan empires - the
Ottomans and Austria-Hungary - endlessly, tediously, and
inefficaciously tinkered with their systems or overhauled them. But, to
no avail. The half-hearted reforms often failed to address core issues
and always failed to assuage the growing nationalist sentiment. It was
a doomed approach.
Nationalist solutions were inherently self-destructive.
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