Roman Empire Justinian splits empire into western (latin, roman, catholic, rome) and eastern (greek, orthodox, constantinople) halves eventual schism between catholic and eastern orthodox church Germanic tribes paid off by constantinople, went west, eventually sacked rome 476AD, eastern roman (byzantine) empire continued strong, shield western europe from persians, arabs, turks christianity spread from constantinople to slavs, russians, ukraine, georgia, armenia Slavic tribes stay, create slavic communities, many convert to christianity bulgars from central asia, treaty to create kingdom in 680 large kingdom united with slavs 850 Serbs get independance from bulgaria for a time Magyars 900 from ural mnts (now hungarians) Fourth crusade 1200 catholics sack constantinople Turks (1000-1300) Ottoman rule 1453 ottomans finally break thru constantinoples walls using newly invented cannons jews, christians tolerated but taxed Koran calls them 'people of the book', mass conversion would be financial ruin for ottoman empire Eastern Orthodox church flourishes (turks allow them to govern their own flock as long as they pay taxes and stay loyal) Venice and Genoa (catholic) incursions convince orthodox christians that they are better off under ottoman rule societies divided by religion (muslim, jew, orthodox, and some catholic) but not belligerent to each other (bektashism) An English slave on a Turkish warship recounted how "at their first coming on board, they had been asked of what religion they were, and upon declaring themselves Catholic Christians, some mild endeavors had been used to persuade them to renounce their faith, and to become Mohametans; but upon their steady denial, they were told that, since they refused to embrace the true faith, they must as the next best chance for salvation, serve God in their own way; and immediately a small cabin was alloted them, which they were desired to fit up as a chapel, and in which they were compelled to pray daily and regularly." (Mazower) (Breakup of balkans into states followed by breakup of orthodox church into national orthodox religions.) 1806 Rebellious Muslims in Belgrade killing Christians. Sultan will not help Christians against other muslims (even rebels). They appeal to Russia for aid, and it becomes a war of independance. Russia gets invaded by Napoleon, and cannot help much. Still takes nine years for Sultan to get control of Serbs again. 1815 Serbs revolt under Milos Obrenovic, Russia helps, get some autonomy and muslims are restricted. 1829 Full autonomy after russia-turk war (west recognizes Serbia in 1878) 1821 Greeks revolt, killing muslims, Turks invade 1825, British send fleet and destroy turkish fleet at navarino 1830 Greek state formed, europeans put Otto of Bavaria on throne 1848 Romania (wallachia and moldavia) revolt, russia opposes, turn to France for help. russia defeated in crimean war 1859 Romania formed, prussian prince karl kinged 1876 small bulgarian uprising put down by killing 12,000 christians 1877 europe shocked, russia invades, push turks out of europe 1878 Bulgaria formed, russian king other autonomous states get european recognition 1912 Balkan league formed (bulgaria, montenegro, greece, serbia) conquer ottoman-held macedonia, albania, thrace 1913 2nd balkan war, league members turn on each other, romania and ottomans also involved 1914 serbians assassinate archduke ferdinand, heir to austro-hungarian empire, war declared between austria & serbia (supported by russia), powers take sides France, England, Russia (entente) later italy, united states Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman empire (central) bulgaria Russia withdraws in 1917 (czar overthrown, bolshevics come to power) austria, ottoman empires dismantled, russia loses much territory germany force to pay enormous war reparations, leading to WW2 1945 World war 2 ends, russia retakes much of eastern europe, political control of balkans, except for Greece Yugoslavia formed (originally Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes) 1.5 million greeks leave turkey, 400k turks leave greece various other ethnic sifting & cleansing cold war competition between east & west in balkans both sides prosper with help, 1970s post-industrial changes, greece capitolism can adapt faster, communist balkans fall into debt east block communism supported by military force, graphically demonstrated in czechoslovakia and hungary 1989 Gorbachev has abandoned Brezhnev doctrine of force to keep communists in power existing opposition parties gain control non-violently in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, as communist regimes collapse. Balkans had more oppessive regimes which did not allow alternatives to form to take the place of collapsing communist regimes. Bulgaria expels 300,000 turks party gives up monopoly on power, but wins 1990 elections Romania: Ceausescu overthrown, new corrupt government Albania: not much change, some economic reform Yugoslavia nationalism growing since 60s, esp in croatia, and serbia 1980 Tito dies, series of presidents from various provinces 1989 Slobodan Milosevic gains power in Serbia ends automony in kosovo and voivodina fear of serb-domination drives others to secession 1990 Slovene and Croats claim right to secede, begining of violent clashes 1991 serbs refuse rotation into power of croatian president Slovenia and Croatia declare independence war between serbs and croats in croatia kosovo tries to declare independence, oppressed by serbia 1992 war in bosnia between serbs and bosnians, serbs esp use ethnic cleansing, UN economic sanctions 1993 peace talks in geneva, partition bosnia? 1994 bosnians and croats ally, start coordinated action against serbs 1995 UN peacekeeping fails, serbian attacks (cleansing muslims) bosnia/croats counter attacks (cleansing serbs) UN air strikes to punish further violence 1996 Kosovo Liberation Army bombings, clashes with Serb police 1998 continued conflicts in kosovo, UN and NATO try to negotiate peace 1999 talks break down, serbs attack albanians in kosovo NATO air strikes, lots of refugees serbs back down, NATO forces move into kosovo albanian refugees returns, serbians flee