ack upon the Turks (coinciding with difficulties which their rigour
raised up) furnished the opportunity--for which the Balkan States had
been longing--to shake off the Turkish yoke. On March 13, 1912, Servia
and Bulgaria framed a secret treaty of alliance against Turkey, which
contained conditions as to joint action against Austria or Roumania, if
they attacked, and a general understanding as to the partition of
Macedonia. Greece came into the agreement later[539]. No time was fixed
for action against Turkey; but in view of her obstinacy and intolerance
action was inevitable. She precipitated matters by massacring Christians
in and on the borders of Macedonia. Thereupon the three States and
Montenegro demanded the enforcement of the reforms and toleration
guaranteed by the Treaty of Berlin (see p. 242). The Turks having as
usual temporised (though they were still at war with Italy[540]), the
four States demanded complete autonomy and the reconstruction of
frontiers according to racial needs. Both sides rejected the joint
offers of Austria and Russia for friendly intervention; whereupon Turkey
declared war upon Bulgaria and Servia (October 17). On the morrow Greece
declared war upon her. Montenegro had already opened hostilities. In
view of these facts, the later assertions of the German Powers, that the
Balkan League was a Russian plot for overthrowing Turkey and weakening
Teutonic influence, is palpably false. Turkey had treated her Christian
subjects (including the once faithful Albanians) worse than ever. Their
union against Turkey had long been foretold. It was helped on by
Ottoman misrule, and finally cemented by massacre. Further, Russia and
Austria acted together in seeking to avert an attack on Turkey; and the
Powers collectively warned the Balkan States that no changes of boundary
would be tolerated. Those States refused to accept the European fiat;
for the present misrule was intolerable, and the inability of the Turks
to cope with either the Italians or the Albanian rebels opened a vista
of hope. The German accusations levelled at Russia were obviously part
of the general scheme adopted at Berlin and Vienna for exasperating
public opinion against the Slav cause.

[Footnote 539: The claim that the Greek statesman, Venizelos, founded
the league seems incorrect. So, too, is the rumour that Russia, through
her minister, Hartvig, at Belgrade, framed it (but see N. Jorga, _Hist.
des Etats balcaniques_, p. 436). Mil