(i) The Balkan was a region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising of modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, and its inhabitants were broadly called Slavs. (ii) A large part of Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman Empire while some other parts were under the control of Russia and Austria causing a complex problem. (iii) The spread of the ideas of Romantic nationalism in the Balkans together with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made the region very explosive. (iv) The Balkan people based their claim for independence or political rights on nationality and desired to win back their long lost freedom. (v) The Balkans also became the scene of big power rivalry over trade and colonies as well as naval and military might. Each power—Russia, Germany, England, and Austria-Hungary—was keen on countering the hold of other powers over the Balkans, and extending its own control over the area, which culminated in the First World War.