Congress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878) was a meeting of the representatives of the era's six great powers in Europe (Russia, Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy and Germany), the Ottoman Empire and four Balkan states (Greece, Serbia, Romania and Montenegro). It aimed at determining the territories of the states in the Balkan Peninsula after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 and came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Berlin, which replaced the preliminary Treaty of San Stefano, which had been signed three months earlier between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who led the Congress, undertook to stabilise the Balkans, recognise the reduced power of the Ottoman Empire and balance the distinct interests of Britain, Russia and Austria-Hungary. At the same time, he tried to diminish Russian gains in the region and to prevent the rise of a Greater Bulgaria. As a result, Ottoman lands in Europe declined sharply, Bulgaria was established as an independent principality within the Ottoman Empire, Eastern Rumelia was restored to the Ottoman Empire under a special administration, and the region of Macedonia was returned outright to the Ottoman Empire, which promised reform.

Romania achieved full independence; it was forced to turn over part of Bessarabia to Russia but gained Northern Dobruja. Serbia and Montenegro finally gained complete independence but with smaller territories, with Austria-Hungary occupying the Sandžak region. Austria-Hungary also took over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Britain took over Cyprus.

The results were first hailed as a great achievement in peacemaking and stabilisation. However, most of the participants were not fully satisfied, and grievances on the results festered until they exploded in the First and the Second Balkan Wars in 1912–1913 and eventually the First World War in 1914. Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece all received gains that were far less than they thought that they deserved.

The Ottoman Empire, then called the "sick man of Europe", was humiliated and significantly weakened, which made it more liable to domestic unrest and vulnerable to attack.

Although Russia had been victorious in the war that occasioned the conference, it was humiliated there and resented its treatment. Austria-Hungary gained a great deal of territory, which angered the South Slavs and led to decades of tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bismarck became the target of hatred by Russian nationalists and Pan-Slavists, and he later found that he had tied Germany too closely to Austria-Hungary in the Balkans.

In the long run, tensions between Russia and Austria-Hungary intensified, as did the nationality question in the Balkans. The Congress was aimed at revising the Treaty of San Stefano and at keeping Constantinople within Ottoman hands. It effectively disavowed Russia's victory over the decaying Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War. The Congress returned territories to the Ottoman Empire that the earlier treaty had given to the Principality of Bulgaria, most notably Macedonia, thus setting up a strong revanchist demand in Bulgaria, which led to the 1912 First Balkan War.
Q185145
great powers
Concept
Q46
Europe
LOC
Q23522
Balkan Peninsula
LOC
Q174205
Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78
EVE
Q1048169
Treaty of Berlin
MEDIA
Q194113
Treaty of San Stefano
MEDIA
Q34266
Russia
LOC
Q12560
Ottoman Empire
LOC
Q8442
Otto von Bismarck
PER
Q28513
Austria-Hungary
LOC
Q1004065
Greater Bulgaria
ORG
Q459780
Eastern Rumelia
LOC
Q103251
region of Macedonia
LOC
Q218
Romania
LOC
Q174994
Bessarabia
MEDIA
Q2673270
Northern Dobruja
LOC
Q403
Serbia
LOC
Q236
Montenegro
LOC
Q579132
Sandžak region
MEDIA
Q225
Bosnia and Herzegovina
LOC
Q229
Cyprus
LOC
Q177918
First
EVE
Q184183
Second Balkan War
EVE
Q361
First World War
EVE
Q1472463
sick man of Europe
Concept
Q194113
Treaty of San Stefano
MEDIA
Q16869
Constantinople
LOC
Q815731
Principality of Bulgaria
LOC
Q103251
Macedonia
LOC
Q151423
Congress of Berlin
EVE
1878-07-13T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
13 July 1878
DATE
1877-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1877
DATE
1912-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1912
DATE
1914-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1914
DATE
1912-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1912
DATE
+13^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
13
NUMBER
+78^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
78
NUMBER
+1913^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1913
NUMBER
end time
participant
participant
participant
location
signatory
signatory
signatory
signatory
country