For centuries Russia has been so much more powerful than Turkey that she would surely have taken possession of Constantinople if the other nations of Europe had not interfered.  On two different occasions during the nineteenth century England came to the assistance of the Turkish Empire and saved Constantinople from the Czar.  Great Britain was led to take this action through fear that Russian control of Constantinople might endanger the safety of her own communications with India.  In the years immediately preceding the outbreak of the Great War the danger from Germany made other quarrels of much less importance, and England’s disagreement with Russia over her desire for a trade outlet was forgotten.

EUROPEAN AMBITIONS IN THE BALKANS.—­Russia has always felt a strong interest in the small nations of the Balkan peninsula.  Their inhabitants are for the most part Slavs, of the same race as the Russians themselves, and they have naturally looked upon the great Slavic empire of the Czars as their protector.  There was, moreover, a pan-Slavic party in Russia, i.e. a group who looked forward to a union of all the Slav nations under the leadership of Russia.  The pan-Slavic movement had its beginning in the help Russia had given these states in their revolt from Turkey.

Russia’s aims and hopes in the Balkans were strongly opposed by Austria-Hungary.  That state has long felt the need of seaports to the southeast and has hoped, with German support, to secure an outlet on the AEgean and to control the whole course of the Danube.  This purpose could be accomplished only by annexing a large part of the Balkan peninsula.  The Balkan situation, therefore, brought Russia and Austria face to face in opposition to each other.  It was one of the most serious instances of international rivalry in the period before the war.

Italy also was interested in the Balkan question.  She saw that if the Austrians should annex the Balkan lands lying to the south they would control the whole eastern shore of the Adriatic.  Italian interests and ambitions would suffer.  This fear, added to the constant bitterness caused by the problem of Italia Irredenta, inflamed the hostility of Italy toward Austria.

Finally, Turkey also had an interest in the Balkan situation.  She hoped to benefit by the various jealousies of the great powers.  She believed that fear of a general war would keep all of them from making any move in the Balkans and so would prolong her own shaky existence as a European state.

RIVAL COLONIAL EMPIRES.—­Some time after the establishment of the German Empire, her rapidly growing wealth, population, and trade led her to regret the opportunities for colonial expansion that she had missed.  She cast jealous eyes upon the vast colonial possessions of other nations.  She also took what was left over,—­several large regions of Africa, a port in China, a few islands in the Pacific,—­not nearly enough to satisfy her ambitions.  South