Fried, Marvin Benjamin (2012) The cornerstone of Balkan power projection: Austro-Hungarian war aims and the problem of Albanian neutrality, 1914–1918. Diplomacy and Statecraft, 23 (3). pp. 425-445. ISSN 0959-2296
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
This article discusses the under-researched topic of Austro-Hungarian foreign policy towards Albania during the First World War. It argues firstly that Albania's location was geo-strategically vital to both Austria-Hungary and Italy, and that only co-operation helped keep Albania's neutrality intact and generally protected the country against its hostile neighbours. The analysis then outlines that when the Austro–Italian alliance broke down in 1915, Austria-Hungary attempted to secure Albania's neutrality as a means of exercising indirect control over the country. Finally, once Central Power troops conquered most of Albania, the highest civil-military echelon in Vienna suffered serious strains as the Foreign Ministry attempted to retain Albanian independence and neutrality whilst the army desired its annexation. The Albanian neutrality case study is a prime example of a state unable to ensure or even influence its own neutrality by force, diplomacy, or the trade of vital resources, and whose geo-political position made control of the region vital. Drawing upon Hungarian and German-language sources, this article addresses a striking omission in First World War Balkan historiography, discusses a forgotten neutrality example, and provides insights into Austro-Hungarian policymaking towards this vital Adriatic territory.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/fdps20/current |
| Additional Information: | © 2012 Taylor & Francis |
| Divisions: | International History |
| Subjects: | D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D501 World War I |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Oct 2012 10:53 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Dec 2024 00:11 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/46468 |
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