On July 13, 1878, the Treaty of Berlin was signed. It is the crown of thorns, the emanation of the relations between the Great Powers in Europe and their aspirations to preserve their interests in the Balkans and the Straits.
The Treaty of San Stefano arouses the discontent of all the Great Powers,
as well as the Balkan countries. England and Austria-Hungary openly declare that Russia has taken up the resolution of the Eastern Question arbitrarily, without caring about the opinions of others interested in this problem.
Particular discontent among the Western patrons of Turkey is caused by the fact that the Bulgarian principality has access to the White Sea. Everyone declared themselves against this outlet under the pretext that it would be used by Russia to establish its presence in the Mediterranean and thus disrupt the balance of European naval powers.
The Peace Treaty of San Stefano led to a hardening of the position of the Western powers on the Eastern Question and to the consolidation of their political initiatives. England threatened Russia with military action. It was supported by the Vienna government, which constantly pointed out that Petersburg had violated the commitments made on January 3, 1877 not to create a large Slavic state on the Balkan Peninsula, France and Italy sang in the same voice and only Germany refrained from attacks on Russia and the signed peace, but it advised the northern empire to be more lenient and more accommodating with its opponents.
The unfavorable situation that had arisen led to a series of diplomatic initiatives on the Russian side, which aimed to neutralize the main opponents. In March 1878, Count N. P. Ignatiev visited Vienna in order to negotiate on the disputed issues. His mission ended without success, as both Emperor Franz Joseph and Count Andrássy insisted on respecting the previously reached agreements and did not want to hear even about a Bulgarian state with the borders drawn in San Stefano/
Ignatiev's failure makes the Russian government more lenient
and in April it agreed in principle to Vienna's proposal to divide Bulgaria into two parts. In May, the Russian ambassador in London, Count P. Shuvalov, reached an agreement with the Foreign Minister Salisbury that England would not object to the annexation of Southern Bessarabia, Kars and Batum to Russia, and the latter agreed to the division of Bulgaria into two parts, with the border to pass along the ridge of the Balkan Mountains. According to the agreements reached, a special secret convention was signed, which practically decided the fate of the Bulgarian state.
After the signing of the convention, the Chancellor of Germany Otto von Bismarck raised the idea of a meeting in Berlin to discuss the Treaty of San Stefano. This led to the Congress of Berlin. The reasons why Berlin was chosen as the venue for this congress must be sought primarily in the fact that Germany and its Chancellor had, up to that time, declared complete disinterest in the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan problems. In this situation, the capital of Germany proved acceptable to both Russia and the other Great Powers.
The sessions of the congress began on June 1, 1878
and ended a month later — July 1, 1878, when the Berlin Peace Treaty was signed. According to it, San Stefano Bulgaria was destroyed, and the Bulgarian lands were divided into several parts. Northern Bulgaria, without Northern Dobrudja, and the Sofia Sanjak formed the Bulgarian Principality, dependent on the Porte. It had a territory of 63,752 sq. km and a population of 2,007,919 (according to the 1881 census). Southern Bulgaria, under the name Eastern Rumelia, was separated as an autonomous region under the supreme military and administrative authority of the Sultan. The southwestern Bulgarian lands, known as Macedonia, White Sea Thrace and the Adrianople region, were returned to Turkey. Northern Dobrudja was also given to Romania according to this treaty, and the Niš Sanjak (as it was under the Treaty of San Stefano) plus the Pirot and Vranje regions were added to Serbia.
Austria-Hungary received major gains with the Treaty of Berlin.
It was granted the right to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina for 30 years. To keep its troops in the Montenegrin coast of the Adriatic Sea, which remained under Ottoman rule.
Great Britain legalized its right to occupy the Ottoman island of Cyprus.
Russia received territories in the Caucasus region, and it also annexed the previously Romanian Bessarabia.
The remaining clauses of the Treaty of Berlin confirmed the agreements of San Stefano. Romania and Montenegro were recognized as independent states, but, like Serbia, they undertook to assume the payment of the corresponding part of the state debt of the Ottoman Empire. Montenegro significantly expanded its territory at the expense of neighboring Ottoman regions.