1. Nationalism culminated into imperialism in the last quarter of the 19th century. 2. The Balkans in Europe after 1871 3. The Balkans comprised modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro. 4. The disintegration of the ruling Ottoman Empire and the spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism made this area explosive. 5. The European subject nationalities started breaking from its control to declare independence. 6. The Balkan revolutionaries‟ acts were directed to gain back the long-lost independence. 7. The Balkan States were fiercely jealous of each other and wanted to gain more territory at the expense of the other. 8. There was intense rivalry among the European powers over trade, colonies, naval might and military might. European powers such as Russia, Germany, England and Austro-Hungary were keen on opposing the hold of other powers over the Balkans for extending their own area of control. 9. All these events ultimately triggered the First World War (1914). 10. Nationalism stained with imperialism led Europe to disaster. Many colonized countries in the world started to oppose imperial domination. The anti-imperialist movements developed as nationalist movements.