Serbia and Greece
were the big winners. Such a treaty could not be a final settlement. The
Balkans were left seething with unrest. Serbia, though she had gained
much, was still dissatisfied. Her ambitions, however, now turned in the
direction of the Jugoslavs under the rule of Austria, and it was her
agitation in this matter which directly brought on the Great War. But
Bulgaria was sullen and ready for revenge. When the Great War began,
therefore, Roumania, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece were strongly in
sympathy with Russia, who had been their backer and friend. Bulgaria, in
spite of all she owed to Russia in the early days, was now ready to find
protection from an alliance with the Central Powers. Her feeling was
well known to the Allies, and every effort was made to obtain her
friendship and, if possible, her aid.
Viviani, then Premier of France, in an address before the French Chamber of
Deputies, said:
The Balkan question was raised at the outset of the war, even before it
came to the attention of the world. The Bucharest Treaty had left in
Bulgaria profound heartburnings. Neither King nor people were resigned
to the loss of the fruits of their efforts and sacrifices, and to the
consequences of the unjustifiable war they had waged upon their former
allies. From the first day, the Allied governments took into account the
dangers of such a situation, and sought a means to remedy it.
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