ABSTRACT
THEANGLO-RUSSIANagreement,andthesignatureoftheAustroTurkishconvention,inApril1879,markedtheendofthefirst, andmostcritical,stageinthetreatysettlementintheBalkan peninsula,andalthoughthepowersfoundamplegroundfor disagreementintheirnegotiationsovertheoutstandingclauses itgraduallybecameclearthatthedangerofwaroverthesettlementhadpassed.Duringthesummerandautumnof1879 thesituationinBulgariaandEasternRoumeliacontinuedto receivecloseattentionfromthemoreinterestedpowers;the delimitationofthefrontiershadstilltobecompleted,andit hadstilltobeseenwhethertheRussiantroopswouldbeevacuated fromthepeninsulaintheallottedtime,andwhetherthenew governmentsofBulgariaandEasternRoumeliawouldbeableto startontheirnewcareerswithoutfurtherinterferenceorassistancefromthepowers.And,whentheRussiansandtheBulgarians hadbeenpersuadedtoacceptthelimitationsoftheirpolitical ambitionsimposedbytheCongress,itremainedtobeseen whethertheTurkswouldhavethecourageandtheopportunity tosecurethemilitaryandpoliticalfootholdsinEasternRoumelia towhich,underthetreaty,theywereundoubtedlyentitled.
