Why did Nationalist tension emerge in the Balkans?

The Balkans comprised of Romania, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.

1. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire showed the roots of nationalism in the Balkans.

2. The Ottoman Empire took many steps to reform and strengthen itself to control the unstable situation.

3. But the Empire was not successful.

4. The European nations were separated and these countries fought for their independence.

5. There were many clashes among the Slavic nationalities, as they all tried to establish their supremacy.

6. The Balkan area was an area of intense conflict at this juncture.

7. There was rivalry among the European nations over their trade colonies and over their military power.

8. Big powers like Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary and England were interested in countering hold of other powers over the Balkans.

The series of these events paved way for wars not only in the Balkans but also led to the outbreak of the First World War.