Balkan Pact
The Balkan Pact is a loose alliance in Europe that was initially created to curve the territorial ambitions of Bulgaria, but later evolved to include a formation against the imperial aims of Italy.
History
During the Great War, the powers that made up the Balkan Pact were mostly on the victorious side, with only Romania having started the conflict on the compulsion of Austria and Ukraine. Following the war, Italy had demanded territory that would later encompass Yugoslavia, with the refusal of which caused a major rift between Italy and their allies. Bulgaria, being on the defeated side, held resentment and territorial claims on major sectors of its neighbors. As a result, the nations of Greece, Yugoslavia, Turkey, and Romania formed the Pact, renouncing any claims on each other, in order to contain Bulgaria.
With the rise of Benito Mussolini, Italy pressed their claims in Ethiopia and Albania. With the claims on the latter, the Balkan Pact shifted their focus to include Italy. These measures went as far as the signing of the Salonika Treaty, allowing the rearmament of Bulgaria. After Italy invaded and annexed Ethiopia in 1939, the sights were turned towards Albania. Though Albania was invited to join the Pact, Italian influence in the nation prevented as much.
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