How would you get a stable unified "Balkania"

They didn't originate in the balkans, they migrated with the slavs in the 7th or 8th centuries, i guess the only option is a Greek, Illyrian or Dacian wank.
 
I meant a Balkania unified by people who originated in the Balkans, ie, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Rumania, Bulgaria, etc.

hmm.

let's see... well, the Romans can claim the area; it was theirs before any of the groups you mentioned. and, depending on your definition of Balkans, the Greeks are a Balkan people.

but let's see...

if you can keep the Bulgarian Empire alive through the Mongol invasion, that might work.
 

Deleted member 67076

The Second Bulgarian Empire doesnt arise. Conversely, the fist empire doesn't fall, and manages to keep its borders as of Tsar Simeon the Great.
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
No Fourth Crusade? Potentially, maybe. If the Komnenid Restoration can unify the Balkans, then you'd have your Balkania - it'd just be called Illyria, or the Roman Empire.

Plus, give it some Anatolian land to back it up, and it'd be quite the tough place to beat!

Another option could be Philip of Macedon not dying, punching the Persians, but rather than going all Empire-Building like his son, chooses to strengthen his dominance of the Balkans.

Have Bardylis of Dalmatia assimilate Macedonia rather than marry his daughter to Philip. It could well become a powerful state that dominates the Balkans.

Stronger Hungary that unites the entire area - could happen with a successful Crusade of Varna, Serbia could do it as well depending on the details of the PoD.

Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia sides with the Empire rather than the Serbian rebels? Squishes and polices Serbia, and from a position of strength just after Manzikert forces the Romans to acknowledge his legitimate control. Sets Croatia up to dominate the Balkans if the Romans have any great issues.

Have the Bulgarians with the Battle of the Bosnian Highlands and conquer Croatia. If they can absorb that conquest, and stabilize, then they'd also have a good chance at control.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
1877-78 Russo-Turkish war flares into

1877-78 Russo-Turkish war flares into a greater conflict, with the Germans, Italians, and Russians in uneasy alliance against the Ottomans and AH Empire (weird, but weirder things happened in Europe); this is basically a roll-up of the 1877-78 conflict with the pre-1914 Balkan wars...

The results are the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires are shattered, and the result is a (mostly) "slavic/Christian" dominated Balkan state (Greater Serbia?) in alliance with the Russians on the east side of the Peninsula (Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Serbia - the Romanians and Hungarians are some odd men out, but somebody has to be; the Finns, Poles, and Balts were in similar circumstances), with Italian and German imperial territories on the west side (Slovenia-Istria-Dalmatia-Slavonia-Croatia-Bosnia-etc). The Russians, presumably, also make some gains in Anatolia proper, along with (presumably) the Greeks.

Granted, this is about 50-25-25, rather than 75-25 unified, but even 50-50 is a stretch given the patchwork quilt of ethnic identities, religion, topography, etc.

Best,
 
What it says on the tin, how would you get a stable unified Balkania comprising at least 4/5 of the Balkans?

by having an analog of the British East India Company conquer and Rule the area for 300 or so years. Only Problem- most every ethnic group there is of a warrior tradition any Afghan would respect.
 
It seems that religion has been the most divisive factor in trying to build any coherent state, as they're trapped between the Orthodox, Roman, and Islamic powers. So how do you get on religion to be a clear majority in the region?
 
It seems that religion has been the most divisive factor in trying to build any coherent state, as they're trapped between the Orthodox, Roman, and Islamic powers. So how do you get on religion to be a clear majority in the region?

well, you could at least keep the Ottomans away, for a start.

also, maybe get the Magyars to convert to Orthodoxy?
 
I see what you did there, Ash...

Also I, just like Soverihn, think that the First Bulgarian Empire is your best bet. Just look at it on a map!

First_Bulgarian_Empire.png


And if it manages to survive, it could even expand further! The remainder of modern-day Greece, more territory on the Adriatic and Constantinople are all in the cards. And it's so early that you could easily butterfly away most ethnic problems, excluding maybe the Vlachs/Romanians, who'd be the odd man out but at least still Orthodox.
 
Top