Although this volume of balkan history commences formally at the beginning of the twentieth century, the reader should be aware of the immense influence of past events, including those of classical and medieval times, on contemporary developments. For example, the modern Greek and Romanian national movements look back for inspiration to ancient Greece and Rome. The Albanians of today lay emphasis on their Illyrian ancestry. The Slavic invasions of the sixth through the eighth centuries brought these people into the peninsula as permanent settlers. For the great majority of Balkan inhabitants the conversion to Christianity and the subsequent division of the church after 1054 provided both elements of unity and cohesion and causes of mutual distrust and animosity. In the Middle Ages the Byzantine, Serbian, and Bulgarian empires were states of considerable power and prestige. The thousand-year Byzantine civilization left a deep imprint on Balkan culture. Independent or autonomous political entities, under their own kings, princes, or noble leaders, arose also in Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania in this early period. In approaching twentieth-century Balkan history it is thus essential to remember that all of these people have deep historical roots in the ancient and medieval periods, when they lived under their own rulers, despite their subsequent long period of domination by outside powers.

For the entire history of the peninsula perhaps the deepest mark was left by the five hundred years of Ottoman occupation.