Congress of Berlin

Congress of Berlin, assembly of representatives of Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire that met in Berlin from June 13 to July 13, 1878, to revise the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano, which had concluded the Russo-Turkish War in March 1878. After winning the war, Russia by this treaty had imposed extremely severe terms on the Ottoman Empire. Other European powers, notably Austria-Hungary and Britain, were alarmed at the growth of the power of Russia and of the independent states created in the Balkans by the treaty; concerned for their own interests in the Middle East, they insisted that the treaty be modified. Count Gyula Andrássy, foreign minister of Austria-Hungary, invited the European powers concerned to meet at Berlin. Prince Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of the German Empire, presided over the congress.

At the congress the Treaty of San Stefano was virtually abrogated, and the Treaty of Berlin was drawn up, with conditions much less favorable to Russia. The new treaty reaffirmed the principle that the status of the Ottoman Empire was to be decided by the powers jointly and not unilaterally by any one of them. It also reaffirmed the principle of nationalism for the Balkan peoples. Serbia and Montenegro were made independent of the Ottoman Empire, although the territory granted them by the Treaty of San Stefano was considerably reduced. Bulgaria was divided into three parts, and two of these were placed under Ottoman control. Romania gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire, but Russia acquired the southern Bessarabian region of Romania, for which Romania was compensated with the Dobruja, a former Ottoman region. Russia also received the territories of Batum (now Bat’umi), Kars, and Ardahan. The two Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were mandated to Austria-Hungary.

As a result of the Treaty of Berlin, the Ottoman Empire lost most of its European territory, Russian influence was reduced in the Middle East, and the power of Austria-Hungary and Britain was increased. The Balkan countries and Russia were not satisfied with what they had obtained by the treaty. The tensions thus created in the Balkans and the Middle East caused strife there and were among the causes of World War I.