| Summary |
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the role of the British government in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Crisis of 1908 and the reaction of the British people through the British Press. The involvement of Great Britain in this Crisis came not as a result of any prearranged imperialistic desire to colonize the area but rather as a consequence of pro-Turkish sentiment in England and the desire of the British Foreign Office to assist the recently established government of the Young Turks in creating an operative government in Turkey. Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the British had followed the policy that the Turkish Empire must be kept intact. The fulfillment of this aim necessitated British intervention in Balkan affairs throughout the nineteenth century in order to curb imperialistic aspirations of Russia, Serbia, and Montenegro. However, due to the rise of nationalism among the Balkan nationalities and due to the misgovernment of the Porte, this policy became difficult to follow. The impossibility of maintaining this policy finally became evident in 1908 when Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. The British Foreign Office protested this change in the status quo because it was a deliberate violation of the thirty-year-old international Treaty of Berlin. After several diplomatic protests attempting to persuade Austria-Hungary to withdraw the annexation proclamation, Britain became involved in the serious crisis which followed. Britain adopted the policy of trying to gain concessions for both Turkey and Serbia. This policy was only partially successful due to the fact that direct negotiations between Turkey and Austria-Hungary settled their differences, but Serbia became so incensed that Britain and Russia were forced to withdraw their support in order to prevent her from perpetrating a European war. As a result of the increased European, and especially British interest in the crisis, it came to a peaceful climax and Serbia was forced to demobilize her troops and to renounce her claims to Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the crisis. Sir Edward Grey, the British Minister of Foreign Affairs, did all that was humanly possible to encourage a peaceful and just settlement for both Turkey and Serbia and to prevent this European conflict from erupting into a general war. During the seven months of the crisis the stability of European diplomacy hung on a thread. Any wrong move or harsh discourse could have converted a tinderbox into a roaring fire. Great Britain was very instrumental in adverting the flames, but she had become involved in a crisis which she should have avoided owing to the fact that she was not willing to support her sentiments with force. Consequently, when the smoke cleared, Britain found that her efforts had been instrumental in maintaining peace, but the animosities which the crisis had created were by no means stifled and Britain found herself drawn into a close friendship with France and Russia. |
