The MİLİTARY CONDİTİONS OF BALKAN STATES BEFORE THE BALKAN WARS

Abstract

The internal and external matters occurred in Ottoman State’s military and politic history at the end of 19th century and in the early 20th century caused political borders in Balkan Peninsula to change. The Balkan states those gained independence made an effort to enhance their military power in order to attain their goals in the period leading to Balkan Wars. Among the era’s sources giving information about Balkan states’ military conditions before Balkan Wars, the pamphlet; Balkan Hükümetlerinin Teşkîlât-ı ‘Askeriyesi written by Ragıb Rıfkı and the article series; Bir Bulgar Zâbitinin Balkan Hükümetlerinin Vaz‘iyet-i ‘Askeriyeleri Hakkındaki Mütala‘atı published in Zafer Mecmuası by M. Zati exist. These aforesaid pamphlets give detailed information about Balkan States’ military conditions in the early 20th century.