Munsey's Magazine, February 1916

Munsey's Magazine, February 1910, contains "The Balkan States: A Long History of Intrigue and Slaughter" by J.W. M'Conaughy. This lengthy non-fiction article examines the strategic and historical importance of the Balkan Peninsula, using geographical and military analysis. M'Conaughy traces how control of three strategic points—Constantinople, Saloniki, and the Serbian plateau—has been crucial to European and Asian powers. The article surveys Turkish expansion from the fourteenth-century invasion through the 1389 Battle of Kosovo and the fall of Belgrade in 1521, explaining how Ottoman control of the region threatened Vienna repeatedly through 1683. It discusses how competing European powers—Austria, Russia, and England—have maneuvered for advantage in the Balkans since the Congress of Berlin (1878), with recent Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and contemporary conflicts illustrating ongoing great-power rivalry. Extensively illustrated with photographs of Serbian cities, government buildings, and military scenes.