Treaty of Vöslau

Treaty of Vöslau

Treaty of Alliance and Friendship
Signed	26 August [O.S. 14 August] 1867
Location	Vöslau, Austria-Hungary (now Austria)
Negotiators	P. Zanos and I. Garašanin (primary)
Parties	Greece  Serbia

The Treaty of Vöslau (Greek: Συνθήκη της Φεσλάου, Serbian: уговор о савезу у Феслау), a military alliance treaty between the Kingdom of Greece and the Principality of Serbia, was signed on 26 August 1867.

In the middle of the 19th century, most of the territory of Balkans was still part of the Ottoman Empire, with several newly established independent or autonomous entities like Serbia and Greece. All of them struggled to expand their influence and territory at Ottoman expense. Their intention was strongly opposed by Austria who opposed development of Balkan nations and revolutions in the Ottoman provinces of Europe (Rumelia).Napoleon III was the champion of the idea of Balkan nationalism and fostered Serbia and Greece to build alliances and undermine Ottoman influence in the region. France planned to resolve the Balkan Eastern Question trough gathering of all Balkan Slavic people, including Bulgarians, around Serbia as their pillar. This was not only informally suggested by French diplomats since 1861, but also formally proposed in Saint Petersburg in 1867. The establishment of Balkan alliances was supported and aided by Russia because it corresponded with its policy of promoting Balkan unity.

The establishment of the Balkan alliance was campaigned by Prince Mihailo Obrenović of Serbia. To establish the First Balkan Alliance, the Principality of Serbia signed a series of contracts in the period 1866–68. The first contract was signed with Montenegro in 1866. The next contracts were signed in autumn of 1866 with the People's Party in Croatia-Slavonia, with the Bulgarian Revolutionary Secret Society in 1867, with Greece in 1867 and with Romania in 1868.

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