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Ever since the early 1820s nationalism had been a threat to the Austrian Empire's very existence - first German nationalism, then Italian nationalism, Hungarian, Czech, Polish, Croat, Serbian, Romanian nationalism. In the years before WW1 Austria-Hungary was particularly concerned about Slav nationalism, which it saw as a vehicle for Russian influence and interference. In 1878 during a key stage in the break-up of the Ottoman Empire (in Europe) Bosnia-Herzegovina had been made an Austrian protectorate. In 1908 it looked briefly as if Turkey might become democratic and respectable and demand the area back. In an attempt to forestall this, Austria annexed the area outright. This infuriated Serb nationalists as they regarded Bosnia-Herzegovina as Serbian, though their claims then, as now, were weak.

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19y ago

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