Abstract
On the 21st of July 1774, the town of Kuchuk Kainarji in Bulgaria was the scene to the signing of the treaty that would end the Russo-Turkish War. From then on, the history of the Balkan peninsula would coincide with the receding of the Ottoman empire and the expansion of European influence. After the Vienna Congress of 1815, the so-called 'Great powers' kept carrying out a constant cutting of the Balkan cake in between themselves. This timeframe, corresponds with the awakening of nationalisms in southeastern Europe. What links can we establish between the Balkans, the European powers, on one hand, and nationalism and realpolitik on the other?
