Crisis after Crisis: The Great War #3
Russia, its Always Russia. The Eastern Crisis and Beyond
July 28 1914 Austria declared war on Serbia ending the July Crisis
The Balkans were a problem because the old Ottoman Empire was not what it once was. The sultan in Constantinople was a shadow of his ancestors.
The Eastern Question
The Eastern Question refers to the diplomatic and political issues stemming from the decline of the Ottoman Empire, especially in the 19th century. European powers like Britain, France, Russia, and Austria-Hungary were worried about the power vacuum and instability that could result from the Ottoman rule disintegrating. They were particularly interested in how this decline would affect their own strategic and territorial interests. I mean, when you care about the health of empires, you really mean your empire.
