ABSTRACT
The Congress of Berlin of 1878 represents a milestone in European diplomatic history as a crucially important peace conference of the nineteenth century. The major decisions reached at the Congress of Berlin by the main participants affected the territorial organisation of Europe well beyond that era. This chapter proposes a new framework of studying this crucially important moment in European history by referring to the main delegations at the Congress and their goals and accomplishments following the Congress, but also considers the role of smaller parties. This month-long convention had both immediate consequences and unforeseen long-term implications for the territorial organisation in Southeast Europe. Furthermore, the United Kingdom became a superpower following the Congress by securing sea routes to Egypt; curtailing Russia’s ambitions at the Congress, giving a necessary lifeline to the declining Ottoman Empire and allowing for a more assertive French expansionism into Africa. While an immediate war among great powers was averted, the Congress planted the seed for future conflict as the chain of events following the Congress ultimately led to the outbreak of World War One.
