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Maybe I'll keep this up for every Sunday 
The governments of the Balkan countries (with the exception of Bulgaria) proceeded in the period 1933-34 in preliminary talks in order to probe into the possibiliy of their joint-action in a multilateral inter-Balkan agreement.
As basic claim of these acts, the transgression of partial local disputes and the integration of the countries of the penisnsula in a whole was considered. It must be noted that the attitude of the Great Powers towards these activities ranged from absolutely positive (France) to negative (Soviet Union). The initiative for such an understanding belonged to the Greek politician Alexandros Papanastasiou, who had introduced the idea of a federal authority in the Balkan area already since 1929.
This inter-Balkan communication, implemented through four conferences, crystallized in the Balkan Understanding Pact of 9 February 1934, among Romania, Yugoslavia, Turkey and Greece. In its partial articles the desire to secure peace in the Balkans, the maintainance of territorial status and the respect to the principles of international law were stressed. The agreement had a two-year effect with the capacity for renewal.
Nevertheless, the reaction of the "revisionist" Powers (Germany, Italy) but of England as well in the conclusion of agreements of local importance and the gradual polarisation in the field of international relations of the countries of central Europe, undermined the effect of the agreement. The attitude of the leader of the opposition Eleftherios Venizelos, who opposed the general spirit of the agreement, considering that the country was risking becoming involved in wider international conflicts was typical of the Greek political scene of the time.
In the years 1934-39, the disintegration of the status of peace and the deterioration of the international crisis put to the test the system of intra-Balkan guarantees and finally led to an impasse. This, besides, was stressed by the alignment of the Balkan countries with different camps at the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Greek and Turkish leaders at the signing of the Balkan Friendship Pact.
The governments of the Balkan countries (with the exception of Bulgaria) proceeded in the period 1933-34 in preliminary talks in order to probe into the possibiliy of their joint-action in a multilateral inter-Balkan agreement.
As basic claim of these acts, the transgression of partial local disputes and the integration of the countries of the penisnsula in a whole was considered. It must be noted that the attitude of the Great Powers towards these activities ranged from absolutely positive (France) to negative (Soviet Union). The initiative for such an understanding belonged to the Greek politician Alexandros Papanastasiou, who had introduced the idea of a federal authority in the Balkan area already since 1929.
This inter-Balkan communication, implemented through four conferences, crystallized in the Balkan Understanding Pact of 9 February 1934, among Romania, Yugoslavia, Turkey and Greece. In its partial articles the desire to secure peace in the Balkans, the maintainance of territorial status and the respect to the principles of international law were stressed. The agreement had a two-year effect with the capacity for renewal.
Nevertheless, the reaction of the "revisionist" Powers (Germany, Italy) but of England as well in the conclusion of agreements of local importance and the gradual polarisation in the field of international relations of the countries of central Europe, undermined the effect of the agreement. The attitude of the leader of the opposition Eleftherios Venizelos, who opposed the general spirit of the agreement, considering that the country was risking becoming involved in wider international conflicts was typical of the Greek political scene of the time.
In the years 1934-39, the disintegration of the status of peace and the deterioration of the international crisis put to the test the system of intra-Balkan guarantees and finally led to an impasse. This, besides, was stressed by the alignment of the Balkan countries with different camps at the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Greek and Turkish leaders at the signing of the Balkan Friendship Pact.
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