History of the Balkans
Balkans were known as a powder keg because of the turmoil they have caused. A powder keg is the way small events set off something much larger.
Before the Neolithic Period (approx. 10,000 years ago), two Indo-European groups lived in the area. The west was populated by the Illyrians and the east by the Thracians. The Thracians specialized in metalworking and horsemanship. They became close with the Greeks who gave them Dionysian and Orphean cults. The Illyrians were separated from the Greeks and Thracians by the mountainous region.
The Thracian tribes were brought together in the Odrysian kingdom when the Persians invaded in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. The kingdom fell under Macedonian influence in the 4th century BCE. The Celtics pushed the Illyrians southward. The threat of the Celtics made the tribal groups of the Illyrians establish a political entity. Macedonia destroyed this too. The Romans became affected and therefore annexed a majority of the Illyrian territory in the early 3rd century BCE.
By the 1st century CE, the entire Balkan peninsula came under Roman control. The Balkan people had a common legal system, a single ultimate arbiter of political power, and absolute military security at the height of the Roman power. The Romans authority extended to the north into Dacia (Romania). People of close relation to the Thracians resided in Dacia. Scythians and many others invaded Dacia.
In 391, Christianity became the official religion. In 395, the empire was divided into two parts. The line that divided the empire ran through the Balkans. The western area which consisted of the Illycrium was ruled under Rome control and the eastern area was ruled from Byzantium. The Slavs were settlers. They separated into four main groups: Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, and Bulgarians. The Roman Catholic Europe gained the Croats and the Slovenes. The Eastern Orthodoxy gained the Serbs, Bulgarians, and Romanians.
In 1362, Adrianople was taken over by the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Turks planned to take over the whole Balkan Peninsula. After the Battle of Kosovo in 1839, Serbia fell to the Turks. Following suit, Bulgaria fell in 1396, Constantinople in 1453, Bosnia in 1463, Herzegovina in 1482, and Montenegro in 1499. In 1526, the Hungarians were defeated in the Battle of Mohács. Three short years later, Vienna was became seized.
In Bosnia and Albania, the nobles were expected to converted to Islam in order to keep their land. The Ottoman authorities did not harp on the Christians to convert to Islam.
Going into the First Balkan War, Russia aided the Serbs and the Bulgarians. France aided the Greeks.
The Thracian tribes were brought together in the Odrysian kingdom when the Persians invaded in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. The kingdom fell under Macedonian influence in the 4th century BCE. The Celtics pushed the Illyrians southward. The threat of the Celtics made the tribal groups of the Illyrians establish a political entity. Macedonia destroyed this too. The Romans became affected and therefore annexed a majority of the Illyrian territory in the early 3rd century BCE.
By the 1st century CE, the entire Balkan peninsula came under Roman control. The Balkan people had a common legal system, a single ultimate arbiter of political power, and absolute military security at the height of the Roman power. The Romans authority extended to the north into Dacia (Romania). People of close relation to the Thracians resided in Dacia. Scythians and many others invaded Dacia.
In 391, Christianity became the official religion. In 395, the empire was divided into two parts. The line that divided the empire ran through the Balkans. The western area which consisted of the Illycrium was ruled under Rome control and the eastern area was ruled from Byzantium. The Slavs were settlers. They separated into four main groups: Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, and Bulgarians. The Roman Catholic Europe gained the Croats and the Slovenes. The Eastern Orthodoxy gained the Serbs, Bulgarians, and Romanians.
In 1362, Adrianople was taken over by the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Turks planned to take over the whole Balkan Peninsula. After the Battle of Kosovo in 1839, Serbia fell to the Turks. Following suit, Bulgaria fell in 1396, Constantinople in 1453, Bosnia in 1463, Herzegovina in 1482, and Montenegro in 1499. In 1526, the Hungarians were defeated in the Battle of Mohács. Three short years later, Vienna was became seized.
In Bosnia and Albania, the nobles were expected to converted to Islam in order to keep their land. The Ottoman authorities did not harp on the Christians to convert to Islam.
Going into the First Balkan War, Russia aided the Serbs and the Bulgarians. France aided the Greeks.