international rivalry in the period before the war.

Italy also was interested in the Balkan question. She saw that if the
Austrians should annex the Balkan lands lying to the south they would
control the whole eastern shore of the Adriatic. Italian interests and
ambitions would suffer. This fear, added to the constant bitterness
caused by the problem of Italia Irredenta, inflamed the hostility of
Italy toward Austria.

Finally, Turkey also had an interest in the Balkan situation. She hoped
to benefit by the various jealousies of the great powers. She believed
that fear of a general war would keep all of them from making any move
in the Balkans and so would prolong her own shaky existence as a
European state.

RIVAL COLONIAL EMPIRES.--Some time after the establishment of the
German Empire, her rapidly growing wealth, population, and trade led her
to regret the opportunities for colonial expansion that she had missed.
She cast jealous eyes upon the vast colonial possessions of other
nations. She also took what was left over,--several large regions of
Africa, a port in China, a few islands in the Pacific,--not nearly
enough to satisfy her ambitions. South America was closed to her by the
policy of the United States which is expressed in the Monroe Doctrine.
In Asia, however, she secured extensive commercial and industrial
concessions--the forerunners of political control--in the Turkish
Empire. Germany's desire for colonies was natural enough, but her
jealousy of her more fortunate European neighbors must be considered as
one of the reasons underlying her military and naval preparedness for
war.