ABSTRACT
The entrance of Germany into Balkan politics, which occurred during the period under survey, caused a metamorphosis in the Near Eastern policies of the powers. The changes in diplomatic combinations were gradual, and in some measure due to influences and the evolution of interests that had little to do with the Near East. The new factor in the Near Eastern question was Germany, infeodating Austria to herself, and then rapidly and thoroughly penetrating the Balkan Peninsula and Asiatic Turkey, and becoming the mistress, politically and economically, of Constantinople, with control of land trade routes east and west. The Eastern question had been a dominant factor in disturbing international relations before Italy and Germany completed their unification and became great powers. During the period of unification in Italy Cavour joined Great Britain and France in the Crimean War and sent an army from Piedmont to aid the western powers in defending Turkey from Russia.
