Русское общество и Антанта в период Балканских войн 1912-1913 гг.

Abstract

The article explores the public and political opinion in Russia during the Balkan wars of 1912—1913 which came as the prelude to World War I. In particular, it exposes the attitude of the educated community in Russia towards the Russian partners in the Entente(England and France) and the official St. Petersburg's policy at that period. The author identified four main points of v i ew on this problem. The extreme right were against the collaboration of Russia w i t h London and Paris and cautioned St. Petersburg diplomats against confrontation with the Austrian and German bloc. The moderate right and the oktyabrists (the Union of the October 17 — the party of landlords and b i g bourgeoisie) took the Entente's side but insisted on the unconditioned support of the Russian interests in the Balkans by the western allies and friends. I n its turn, Russia was required to act more decisively there. In contrast, the constitutional democrats and liberal popular party, while being the Entente's adherents too, advised Russian diplomacy to act prudently not to lose the partners' trust and not to remain in isolation. The extreme left rejected any Russian involvement in the Balkan affairs as well as any treaties and agreements of the imperialist powers as rapacious in regard to the third countries and the common people in the world. The article demonstrates that despite the contradictions within the Entente, the course for its strengthening found sufficient support in the Russian public opinion and was continued by the tsarist diplomacy. The article also outlines the influence the social and political struggle in Russia during the Balkan Wars had o n the further fate of the Romanovs' empire.