The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

revolt of barbarians against the bliss of a higher civilisation. Every attempt to obtain justice and due recognition was described as the manceuvre of the agents of Panslavism, and Europe was invited to assist German culture against Slav barbarism. This organisation bore magnificent fruits. At the Berlin Congress in 1878 the ‘* honest broker,” as Bismarck styled himself, was able with the approval of Europe to make a present to Austria-Hungary of Bosnia and of Hercegovina, two purely Serbian provinces.

By that achievement Bismarck obtained a really great victory. In soothing the pain of the Hapsburg dynasty and healing the wound bleeding ever since Sadowa, he attached AustriaHungary definitely to his car, and the AustroGerman alliance formed in the same year (1879) was but a conspicuous proof of his mastery. The Austro-Hungarian Joint Foreign Minister, Count Andrassy, could come in triumph from Berlin to Vienna, and in announcing the news to the Emperor, could say solemnly, ‘‘ Majesty, the door of the Balkans is now open to you!” But as an Italian author remarks: “ From this very day, outside and inside the empire, was ushered in a policy anti-Slay and consequently antiBalkan. In occupying Bosnia-Hercegovina, Austria’s first object was to prevent Serbia and Montenegro from raising there their flag and from uniting to form another important Slav State in the South. With that same object in

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