The Balkan Wars through the Prism of the Wider Theoretical Framework of the Concept of the “Security Dilemma”

Abstract

This paper researches the two Balkan wars and the actions of the participating countries by using the theoretical concept of the so-called “security dilemma’ as one of the key concepts in the science of international relations. It’s an attempt to make an analysis of the Balkan wars, or, more specifically, of all the key elements of this theoretical framework.   The goal is to find out whether this theoretical concept can be applied to the countries which took part in the Balkan Wars, and if its application in this specific case can offer some answers about the reasons behind the start of the two Balkan Wars, the question of the balance of power and its shifts, as well as the changes in alliances between the participating countries. In order to successfully accomplish this goal, the paper is going to utilize relevant literature on the topic of this theoretical concept, but also on the historical period of the two Balkan wars (1912 and 1913).  With this approach, we hope to look at the subject from a different angle, which has not been sufficiently explored.

Keywords: Balkan wars, security dilemma, balance of power, alliances