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Did the Congress of Berlin create a more unstable Europe

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#Bosnia and Herzegovina were to become part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.<ref>Taylor, p. 241.</ref>
The Congress of Berlin was a victory for the British- they had denied the Russian Empire the opportunity to dominate the Balkans and hence the strategic Bosporus. Turkey was able to retain many of its European provinces despite Germany and Austria were relieved that no Pan-Slavic state under Russian influence would emerge in the Balkans. Russia was outraged, it had decisively defeated the Turks, and had apparently received nothing. The Pan-Slavic nationalists were also angered as their dreams of a strong unified Slavic state was also denied.<ref>Albertini, p. 202</ref> Bismarck and representatives at the Congress of Berlin.
==Legacy of the Congress==
The Congress achieved the aim, of Bismarck, of ensuring that instability in the Balkans did not result in a general war between the great powers in Europe. However, in the longer term it was a disaster for Europe.<ref>Glenny, p. 67.</ref>Prior to the Congress, there had been a level of stability in Europe, even though relations between France and Germany were still tense after the 1870-1 war. Russian was angered by the outcome of the Congress and eventually she was to end her loose alliance with Germany and Austro-Hungary. The Germans and Austrians had succeeded in their objectives at the Congress, but had lost an ally. Soon the various nations were seeking new alliances. This did much to establish the alliance system in Europe which was to contribute so much to the outbreak of the First World War. More importantly, the Congress failed to address the Pan-Slavic nationalists demands and this was to ensure continuing instability in the Balkans for many decades. The Congress failure to address the claims of the Slavs in the Balkans was to result in wars and terrorism in the region until the First World War and after.

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