On This Day

Montenegro declares war on Turkey, beginning the First Balkan War

The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro) against the Ottoman Empire.

The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro) against the Ottoman Empire. The Balkan states' combined armies overcame the initially numerically inferior (significantly superior by the end of the conflict) and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies, achieving rapid success.

The war was a comprehensive and unmitigated disaster for the Ottomans, who lost 83% of their European territories and 69% of their European population. As a result of the war, the League captured and partitioned almost all of the Ottoman Empire's remaining territories in Europe. Ensuing events also led to the creation of an independent Albania, which dissatisfied the Serbs.

Historical Significance

The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro) against the Ottoman Empire.

Events Before

  1. Hank Greenberg is born

    Hank Greenberg, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1911-01-01.

  2. Belgian mining law introduces a 9.5-hour workday

    Belgian mining law introduces a 9.5-hour workday

  3. British PM Neville Chamberlain (41) weds Anne de Vere Cole

    British PM Neville Chamberlain (41) weds Anne de Vere Cole

  4. American actress Hattie McDaniel (16) weds pianist Howard Hickman (30) in Denver, Colorado

    American actress Hattie McDaniel (16) weds pianist Howard Hickman (30) in Denver, Colorado

  5. Actress Mae West (17) weds fellow vaudevillian Frank Wallace (21) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Actress Mae West (17) weds fellow vaudevillian Frank Wallace (21) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Events After

  1. The US Post Office begins parcel post delivery

    The Bronx General Post Office (also known as the Bronx Central Post Office or Bronx Central Annex) is a historic post office building at 558 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx in New York City, New…

  2. British House of Commons accepts Home Rule for Ireland (but the Great War gets in the way of it happening)

    British House of Commons accepts Home Rule for Ireland (but the Great War gets in the way of it happening)

  3. China's National Assembly opens in Peking, the first free democratic parliament in Chinese history

    The National Assembly was the legislative branch of the Beiyang government during the Republican era of Chinese history.

  4. US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts

    US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts

  5. US Actors' Equity Association forms (NYC)

    The 1919 Actors' Equity Association strike officially spanned from August 7, 1919, to September 6, 1919.

More from the 1910s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 8, 1912?
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro) against the Ottoman Empire. The Balkan states' combined armies overcame the initially numerically inferior (significantly superior by the end of the conflict) and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies, achieving rapid success. The war was a comprehensive and unmitigated disaster for the Ottomans, who lost 83% of their European territories and 69% of their European population.
Why is Montenegro declares war on Turkey, beginning the First Balkan War significant?
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro) against the Ottoman Empire.

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