In the late nineteenth century, Turkish power was declining quickly. The question in Europe was who would get what when the colony finally collapsed (Lyons, 2000). In 1878, under the Treaty of Berlin, Austria-Hungary received the mandate to occupy and administer the Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, though the Ottoman empire retained official sovereignty Under this treaty, Serbia was finally recognized by the Great Powers as a sovereign state, the Kingdom of Serbia. Serbia's borders encompassed only a fraction of the ethnic Serbian population, and though they were content to rule within these small borders, a change in leadership also challenged this agreement (New World Encyclopedia).
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In the beginning, Serbia was thought to be a potential problem for Austria-Hungary. The borders of Serbia included only a small percentage of the territory inhabited by Serbs, while Austria-Hungary contained a sizable population of Serbian inhabitants within its own borders, as well as the Austrian-administered provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Serbia was able to maintain close relations with the Dual Monarchy under the rule of Milan II, and his successor Alexander II (Lyons, 2000).
But in 1903, the situation began to change. A group of nationalistic Serbian army officers shot to death Alexander II, the ruler of Serbia, and his queen. Alexander's successor was Prince Peter of the rival royal house of Karageorgevich. Though Peter's government maintained Serbia's tight links to Austria-Hungary for the time being, they also sought close relations with Russia and tolerated the proliferation of Pan-Serb and Anti-Austrian organizations. They worked to create unrest among the Serbian population of the Dual Monarchy, and to unit Serbs living under Austro-Hungarian and Turkish rule into a "Greater Serbia" (Lyons, 2000). Disputes between Serbia and its neighbors erupted over the next decade. These disputes included a customs dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia known as the "Pig War" in 1906, the Bosnian crisis of 1908-1909 where Serbia protested Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the two Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 where Serbia conquered Macedonia and Kosovo taking these provinces from the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria (New World Encyclopedia).
These disputes made the relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary far worse. The Serbs viewed Austria-Hungary as an implacable enemy, and more anti-Austrian secret societies came into existence during this time. Two of the more notable organizations included Narodna Odbrana (National Defense) and Crna Ruka (Union of Death, or the Black Hand) (Lyons, 200o).
But in 1903, the situation began to change. A group of nationalistic Serbian army officers shot to death Alexander II, the ruler of Serbia, and his queen. Alexander's successor was Prince Peter of the rival royal house of Karageorgevich. Though Peter's government maintained Serbia's tight links to Austria-Hungary for the time being, they also sought close relations with Russia and tolerated the proliferation of Pan-Serb and Anti-Austrian organizations. They worked to create unrest among the Serbian population of the Dual Monarchy, and to unit Serbs living under Austro-Hungarian and Turkish rule into a "Greater Serbia" (Lyons, 2000). Disputes between Serbia and its neighbors erupted over the next decade. These disputes included a customs dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia known as the "Pig War" in 1906, the Bosnian crisis of 1908-1909 where Serbia protested Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the two Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 where Serbia conquered Macedonia and Kosovo taking these provinces from the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria (New World Encyclopedia).
These disputes made the relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary far worse. The Serbs viewed Austria-Hungary as an implacable enemy, and more anti-Austrian secret societies came into existence during this time. Two of the more notable organizations included Narodna Odbrana (National Defense) and Crna Ruka (Union of Death, or the Black Hand) (Lyons, 200o).