ABSTRACT
Great Britain and France recognized the special interests of Austria-Hungary and Russia in the Balkans, and were willing that these two powers should be the mandatories of Europe in suggesting and supervising the reforms, but they wanted a part in their execution. The European gendarmerie was powerless to struggle against Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Balkan intrigues. When an Albanian uprising was added to the Macedonian revolt to throw all European Turkey into confusion and bloodshed, Vienna and Petrograd united, on February 21, 1903, to proclaim Austro-Russian hegemony over the vilayets of Saloniki, Monastir, and Kossovo. The Russian and Austro-Hungarian Governments declare to the Balkan States that the powers condemn energetically every measure capable of leading to a rupture of peace. The great powers always thought of the consequences to themselves rather than to others when they adopted their policies. It was human nature that the Balkan States should do the same.
