Study on Balkan Pact through historical perspective with due emphasis on general characteristics of stability

The Balkan Pact of 1934 was a failed attempt to keep stability in the Balkan Region. Signed by Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia, the Pact was intended as a collective security institution however exclusion of Albania and Bulgaria rendered it into an informal alliance among non-revisionists against revisionists. The Balkan Peninsula has long been a hot spot of historical conflicts, seemingly driven by religious, ethnic, and political factors. Even though idiosyncratic attributes of the region play certain roles in the formation of outcomes, it is the security dilemma that still gives the best explanation for the state of international relations in Balkan Region. Individual and state level attributes are only supplementary factors. Balkan Pact failed due to three reasons. First, it did not include Bulgaria and Albania, which weakened its collective security promise. Secondly, the Pact could not align political goals among its members and failed to deter major aggressors like Italy and Germany. Third, Pact members did not have power to keep stability in the region even though they genuinely wished to do so. The influence of European powers played the most significant role in Balkan stability, often treating the region as a playground for their power politics. Cyclical stability approach derived from Realist theory best explains Balkan affairs. When Major Powers seek cooperation there is stability in the region. When Major powers change gear for increased competition and rivalry Balkan Peninsula becomes powder keg to start fires. In conclusion, the Balkan Pact of 1934 represented an ambitious attempt at regional stability that failed due to the complex interplay of regional and international dynamics. It is important to highlight the importance of the unique political peculiarities of the Balkans, but the best explanations still lie in the workings of the International Power Structure.