time no nation protected Turkey, and the treaty of peace left her with
only a tiny bit of European territory and the city of Constantinople.
Incidentally, Germany had lost much prestige, for Turkey had fought the
war with the help of German officers and with German encouragement, and
had lost.

THE SECOND BALKAN WAR.--Unfortunately, the victors soon quarreled over
the spoils. Bulgaria had seized Thrace and wanted most of Macedonia,
including the city of Saloni´ca, which had been captured by the Greeks.
Austria intervened to prevent Serbia from getting any increase in
territory on the southwest, toward the Adriatic. Hence Serbia wanted a
share of the lands to the south, claimed by Bulgaria. Bulgaria, backed
by Austria and Germany, refused to make any concessions, or to leave the
dispute to arbitration. She began the second Balkan war with a night
attack on the Serbian and Greek armies, but was unable to defeat them.
On the contrary Bulgaria was defeated within a month, partly because
Roumania and Turkey also entered the struggle against her. Bulgaria had
to give up much of her conquests to her former allies. Roumania claimed
a slice off her northeastern corner, and a Turkish army recaptured
Adrianople and neighboring territory from the hard-pressed Bulgarians.

LOSS OF PRESTIGE BY GERMANY AND AUSTRIA.--One of the important results
of these two wars was the loss of prestige by Germany and Austria. These
"Central Powers," as they were called, had gone out of their way to
encourage first Turkey, and then Bulgaria, and both these countries had
been badly beaten. In any future diplomacy the opinions and desires of
the Central Powers would have less weight and impressiveness than
formerly. To regain their lost influence it was practically certain that
these nations would, at the earliest opportunity, make an attempt to
impose their will upon the victorious Balkan states.