Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria Hungary (1908)

Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has an important position in the Balkans, became the target of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the second half of the 19th century and was reflected in European politics as an eastern problem with the Bosnia-Herzegovina rebellion of 1875. The Ottoman Empire, which could not find a place for itself among the political groups of the 19th century and could not keep up with the changing political balances, lost most of its lands in the Balkans with the 1878 Berlin Treaty and had to leave Bosnia. Herzegovina, which was predominantly Muslim until it was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian armies in accordance with Article 25 of the Berlin Congress and was eventually annexed in 1908, causing a crisis in the Balkans Austria viewed the annexation of Hungary as an act of protecting itself against so-called attacks. It led to a boycott against Austria in Ottoman lands. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the annexation was met with different views. While Serbs and Muslims living in Bosnia-Herzegovina protested the annexation, Croats welcomed this situation. Additionally, nationalist youth in Bosnia-Herzegovina also protested the annexation. The Annexation crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina will ignite the World War and shape the developments in the World and the Balkans in the 20th Century. Upon the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, the Bosnian Intellectuals submitted Layihas to the Parliament. In these Layihas, which were used for the first time in our thesis and were translated into modern Turkish; The subject is the ambitions of the Austro-Hungarian State on Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has been stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been Ottoman territory for 400 years and Bosnians have performed a sacred duty as border guards. In all three developments, it is briefly stated that Bosnia-Herzegovina is steeped in Ottoman culture. For this reason, it was emphasized that Bosnia-Herzegovina should not be abandoned to the Austro-Hungarian State, and reactions to Austria's annexation of Bosnia were expressed. These plans were important in terms of detailing the Bosnia-Herzegovina Annexation crisis. The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina affected the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in many ways and led to the formation of political alliances in Europe. For this reason, the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina has an important place in both Ottoman and European history. Therefore, it is important to examine the occupation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary in 1878 and the process leading to its annexation. This study examines the occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in accordance with the 25th article of the 1877-1878 Berlin Treaty, following the Bosnian crisis caused by the Bosnia-Herzegovina Revolt, based on Bosnian-Herzegovinian sources, documents from the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, and especially It aims to evaluate the annexation of Bosnia, which took place fait accompli in 1908, from an analytical perspective by emphasizing three drafts written by Bosnian intellectuals.