THE SECOND BALKAN WAR.—­Unfortunately, the victors soon quarreled over the spoils.  Bulgaria had seized Thrace and wanted most of Macedonia, including the city of Saloni’ca, which had been captured by the Greeks.  Austria intervened to prevent Serbia from getting any increase in territory on the southwest, toward the Adriatic.  Hence Serbia wanted a share of the lands to the south, claimed by Bulgaria.  Bulgaria, backed by Austria and Germany, refused to make any concessions, or to leave the dispute to arbitration.  She began the second Balkan war with a night attack on the Serbian and Greek armies, but was unable to defeat them.  On the contrary Bulgaria was defeated within a month, partly because Roumania and Turkey also entered the struggle against her.  Bulgaria had to give up much of her conquests to her former allies.  Roumania claimed a slice off her northeastern corner, and a Turkish army recaptured Adrianople and neighboring territory from the hard-pressed Bulgarians.

LOSS OF PRESTIGE BY GERMANY AND AUSTRIA.—­One of the important results of these two wars was the loss of prestige by Germany and Austria.  These “Central Powers,” as they were called, had gone out of their way to encourage first Turkey, and then Bulgaria, and both these countries had been badly beaten.  In any future diplomacy the opinions and desires of the Central Powers would have less weight and impressiveness than formerly.  To regain their lost influence it was practically certain that these nations would, at the earliest opportunity, make an attempt to impose their will upon the victorious Balkan states.

SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY.—­1.  Locate Macedonia, the Dobrudja, Nish, Sofia, Durazzo. 2.  Define and explain Mittel-Europa; “The sick man of Europe.” 3.  Which nations of the Balkan peninsula border upon the Black Sea?  Which border upon the Adriatic?  Which lie along the Danube? 4.  On an outline map of the Balkan peninsula indicate the races to which the populations belong and their distribution. 5.  We have read in this chapter that the old Roman province of Dacia developed later into modern Roumania; can you name the Roman provinces which correspond to the modern nations of France, Spain, England, Switzerland? 6.  What do you know of the history of Constantinople prior to its capture by the Turks? 7.  Explain the causes of the second Balkan war.  How did the outcome of this war affect the history of the great European powers?

    REFERENCES.—­War Cyclopedia (C.P.I.); Study of the Great
    War (C.P.I.); Davis, The Roots of the War; Hazen, Europe
    since 1815; and other general histories of recent Europe.

CHAPTER VII

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE GREAT WAR