Why was there tension between Austria and Russia over the Balkans?

Question: Why was there tension between Austria and Russia over the Balkans!?

ThanksWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

the main reason was the decline of the old Ottoman empire in the balkans which effectively created a power vacum which both Austria and Russia tried to fill!. Russia wanted to gain control of the straights which would guarantee access to the Mediterranean for Russian ships in the Black Sea and protect their fellow slavic people which inhabited the Balkans with which the Russians had a lot in common (orthodox religion, language, alphabet etc)!. Austria on the other hand wanted to extend the Austrian Empire, particularly into Bosnia and Herzegovina and gain increased access to the sea!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well as someone has already said on here, there was a power vacuum!.

The Austro-Hungarian (not just Austrian) Empire already had territory in the region, after the Ottoman Empire began to fall apart, they sought to expand their influence in the region, one of the reasons was to gain access to the sea, another was simply to get in there first, before anyone else did!.

The Russians also sought influence in the area!. They had been enemies of the Ottomans for centuries, and now sought to incorporate their fellow Orthodox Christian Slavic people into their Empire - these people were the Serbs, Bulgarians, Macedonians and Montenegrins!.

The Catholic Croatians and Slovenians and some Albanians had more sympathy with Austria-Hungary and so gravitated towards the Austro-Hungarian Empire!.

The Romanians were Orthodox also, but were Latins not Slavs, they did not wish to be under the influence of either Russia or Austro-Hungary!. This created further tension!.

The Greeks similarly claimed influence over some Balkan regions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It would be nice to have a period of time!. Bob could well be right, but in the more recent past the problems were caused because Croatia is Roman Catholic and supported the Axis powers, including Austria during WWII!. Serbia is Russian Orthodox and sided with the Allies (and therefor Russia) during that war and this caused problems between Austria and Russia during the 1990s!. Croatia has a border with Austria and Germany was the first EU country to recognise Croatia as an independent country - much to the dismay of Russia and Serbia!.Www@QuestionHome@Com