What is the future of the Balkans?
456299
Romania and Bulgaria are Axis satellites; Greece and Yugoslavia are members of the United Nations; Albania is occupied territory; and Turkey has been a fairly consistent nonbelligerent. Bulgaria was happy with German permission to occupy Yugoslavian and Greek Macedonia and Thrace. Obedient to its master’s voice, Romania did not complain out loud when Hitler ordered the cession of northern Transylvania to Hungary in 1940. But Romania has not forgotten this enforced loss of territory, and underneath the surface of common membership in the Axis, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria are seething with territorial jealousies and ambitions. Greece and Yugoslavia are also insistent that their seized provinces shall be restored to them.\n\nSuch trouble spots as Transylvania, Thrace, Macedonia, Northern Epirus, Kossovo, and the Banat may be just words to other people. But to the people of the Balkans they have been fighting words. Much had been done before the war, however, to make boundary disputes less dangerous to peace. Only one of the six Balkan states, Bulgaria, was still unreconciled, and even Bulgaria had undertaken not to try to modify its frontiers by force of arms.\n\nAdded to these disputes between the nations are the internal divisions between various groups within (or exiled from) each country. That between the Chetniks and the Partisans is only the most spectacular and most publicized conflict. In Greece and Albania as well, struggles are in progress between the popular, forces of resistance and liberation on the one hand, and the elements of reaction and collaboration on the other, although the latter are almost negligible. The real fight is rather between bands with conflicting ideas of patriotism. Some people think there are pro-Allied movements in Bulgaria and Romania too, awaiting the opportunity to throw out pro-Axis governments. In all the Balkan countries, as in the rest of Europe, there are seeds of civil strife.\n\nIn this pamphlet, much of the blame for past Balkan troubles has been freely placed on the great powers. But of course they are not solely responsible.\n\nUncritical nationalism is particularly strong in the Balkans. And it is just in the Balkans, a small area crowded with many different peoples, that unbridled nationalist rivalry is perhaps most dangerous. The great powers have been as much motivated by nationalism as the small ones—and perhaps will continue to be. But if it is questionable whether they can afford to prolong a system in which aggressive nationalism is curbed only by the force of opposing nationalism, it is certain that the Balkan countries cannot afford it.\n\nTo put it the other way around, if the great powers have had to “recognize the necessity of establishing ... a general international organization ... for the maintenance of ... peace and security,” in the words of the Moscow Declaration, the Balkan nations are still more obliged to seek for peaceful ways of settling conflicts through cooperation or else destroy themselves.\n\nIn the settlements after World War I it was clearly not possible to draw national boundaries in the Balkans according to the wishes of all the people. Unavoidably a great many people in the mixed populations had to be left on the “wrong” side of the line wherever it was drawn. To resolve this difficulty, population exchanges were suggested and tried as the easiest and most durable solution.\n\nIn one instance—between Greece and Turkey after 1923—that method proved, in its outcome, highly successful. It removed the cause of incessant quarreling between Turkey and Greece who have since become good friends instead of bitter enemies. In a second instance—between Greece and Bulgaria—it was also beginning to show good results.\n\nPopulation exchange might work as well in other instances and again in some it could not be applied. To uproot the half-million or so Albanians who live in the Kossovo region of Yugoslavia and dump them into an already pov
812245
Hope this site can help you:\n\nhttp://www.lib.msu.edu/sowards/balkan/lect25.htm
1167465
I have no idea,Serbia is all fu*ked up all ready....
582110
COOooooooooooL :-)\n\nRomania, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey ,Bosnia... Ottoman Empire, Beautiful bridges,Azra - Balkane Balkane Balkane moj.  Gypsy muzik, Balkan Tango, Kraljevic Marko, Burek, Rahatluk.... \n\nAnd of coures Balkans is Turkish word for mountains!
338312
There is more to Bosnia besides the war. Bosnia has an old history and rich traditions. There is much to offer, and people must live for the future now.\nBosnia has beautiful old towns. Stunning scenery. Turkish Mosques. Ivo Andric. Bijelo dugme. Sevdah music. And the best burek hmn!
28856
through out history europe has constantly been changing bounderies and borders. i dont think they will ever become a single nation because of too many different cultures and ethnicities. maybe though. but would it be a change for the better?
593642
There is good article on the BBC website that gives two views on the future in Iraq.\n\nIt summarises both sides of the argument.
926286
First, let's get things straightened out.The situation in Kosovo has no relation [at all] to your examples stated.\n\nThis problem started at the end of World War One. Russia wins the Russo-Turk War and therefore has control over the terms of territorial loss of the Ottoman Empire. Russia [planning to make a dwarf clone of the Soviet Union in the Balkans] makes up a team of delegates [Bulgaria, Rumania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece] to decide the fate of the Balkans - The Treaty of Bucharest of 1913.\n\nBulgaria [initially intended to be the center of the Slavic Kingdom in the Balkans] had the largest territory by far within the Balkans, including additional Albanian territory added to its province of Macedonia (1)\n\nHowever, Western Powers feared a Soviet influenced Bulgaria would make way for a Soviet outlet into the Aegean Sea. This territory, as a result, was ceded to Greece (2).\n\nGreece also cooperated with the alliance of Serbia and Montenegro to split up Bulgaria's province of Macedonia and Albanian territory amongst themselves. Greece and Serbia nearly double their original territory(3).\n\nThese three countries outnumbered Bulgaria's and Rumania's say in the Treaty and a new center of a Slavic kingdom is settled, which is to be Serbia's YUGOSLAVIA.\n\nEthnic cleansing of the Albanians were commited by both Serbia and Greece to have a legitimate reason in controlling the territories of Kosovo and Chameria respectively (4).\n\nIn conclusion, Kosovo [which Serbia only used to drain its resources] should gain its independence to correct the end results of treaties that ceded territory to countries other than the population of its inhabitants.\n\n**** Dear third answerer,\nNote Vojvodina and that Kosovo as a province had loss of territory to Serbia and Montenegro\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vojvodina\n\n"honestly i've never heard of greeks commiting any crimes against albanians..."\nQuote: Joseph Jacobs, head of the US Mission in Albania (1945-1946) wrote:\n\nIn March 1945 units of Zervas's dissolved forces carried out a massacre of Chams in the Filiates area, and practically cleared the district of the Albanian minority. According to all the information I have been able to gather on the Cham issue, in the fall of 1944 and during the first months of 1945, the authorities in north-western Greece perpetrated savage brutality by evicting some 25,000 Chams - residents of Chameria - from their homes. They were chased across the border after having been robbed of their land and property. Hundreds of male Chams from the ages of 15 to 70 were interned on the islands of the Aegean Sea. In total 102 mosques were burnt down.\n\n"non-albanians in kosovo live in ww2-alike ghettos with no electical power and plumbings"\n\nCould this be Serbia's fault ????? \n****
475678
Serbia.. No doubt about that. Serbia is the most powerful country in the Balkans.
521446
It'll be a major economic power, but not like a power that'll rule the world.  Those days are over.\n\nIf anything, China will be the next superpower.
402453
Serbia and Montenegro, of course!
731621
Hopefully at that point some US states will break away.  If not, i would suggest a less socialist country.  Maybe one with very few people.  The more people there are, the more government becomes oppressive and paternalistic.  New Zealand might be a good option.  But they may take immigration seriously.  And then we're screwed.
377481
Serbia and Montenegro\nIt will be a big surprise! :)
574113
Actually, in addition to Montenegro voting to separate from Serbia, Spain is having issues with separatism in its regions.  The Basque country has long wanted an independent state that would take territory from Spain and France.  Catalonia has recently moved towards greater autonomy, and the other regions jealously want to ensure that they receive similar rights vis a vis the central government.  While the UK is not separating, the devolution movement has been strong there in recent history, and Wales and Scotland will probably continue to push for greater autonomy within the UK framework.  History suggests that change alone is constant.
1025984
Yes I think so. \nthey suffered so much death from the serbs.\nIts not a large area and most are Albanians so I don't see what the hold up is.\nMaybe Kosovo is very rich in resources.\nIts always hard to claim rich land.
206306
believe me Poland will join EU b4 turkey :D
478841
It is a state union of two former Yugoslav republics.\nthey are neighbouring states in the Balkan Peninsular.