# Canonical recap data for Treaty of Berlin Redraws European Boundaries (1878)
# Source: https://recap.at/1878/treaty-berlin-1878
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: treaty-berlin-1878
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1878/treaty-berlin-1878"
title: Treaty of Berlin Redraws European Boundaries
aliases:
- Congress of Berlin
- Berlin Memorandum
- Treaty of San Stefano revision
- Eastern Question settlement
subtitle: Treaty of Berlin Redraws European Boundaries
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1878-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1878
decade: 1870
country:
name: Germany
slug: germany
summaryShort: A treaty is a recorded international agreement between sovereign states or other subjects of international law that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, pact, or exchange of letters, among other terms; however, only documents that ar
summaryLong: A treaty is a recorded international agreement between sovereign states or other subjects of international law that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, pact, or exchange of letters, among other terms; however, only documents that are legally binding on the parties are considered treaties under international law. Treaties may be bilateral or multilateral.
lede: In July 1878, European powers gathered in Berlin to redraw the map of southeastern Europe following Russia's victory over the Ottoman Empire. The treaty stripped the Ottomans of nearly a third of their remaining European territory, created new independent states and autonomous regions, and handed Britain control of Cyprus-fundamentally reshaping the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean for decades.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Treaty_of_Kadesh.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Kadesh.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Treaty"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Ottoman territorial loss
  value: ~665,000 sq km ceded or placed under foreign control
- label: New independent states created
  value: Bulgaria (initially autonomous), Serbia, Montenegro, Romania
- label: Congress dates
  value: 13 June – 13 July 1878
- label: Presiding diplomat
  value: Otto von Bismarck, German Chancellor
- label: Primary negotiators
  value: Britain (Disraeli, Salisbury), Russia (Gorchakov), Austria-Hungary (Andrássy), France (Waddington)
- label: Cyprus transferred to
  value: British control (from Ottoman Empire)
- label: Bosnia-Herzegovina status
  value: Placed under Austro-Hungarian occupation and administration
- label: Years until World War I
  value: 36 years
timeline:
- date: 1877-04-24
  title: Russo-Turkish War begins
  description: Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire, citing protection of Christians in Ottoman territories. The conflict will trigger the diplomatic crisis resolved at Berlin.
- date: 1878-03-03
  title: Treaty of San Stefano signed
  description: Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign preliminary peace. Russia gains territory and creates a large Bulgarian state-terms that alarm Britain and Austria-Hungary, who fear Russian Balkan dominance.
- date: 1878-06-04
  title: Britain and Austria-Hungary sign secret agreement
  description: Before negotiations begin, Britain and Austria-Hungary agree Britain will support Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in exchange for Austria-Hungary checking Russian expansion.
- date: 1878-06-13
  title: Congress of Berlin convenes
  description: Representatives from Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire gather in Berlin under Bismarck's presidency to revise San Stefano.
- date: 1878-07-13
  title: Treaty of Berlin signed
  description: After one month of negotiations, all parties sign the treaty. Bulgaria is reduced in size; Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania gain independence; Austria-Hungary occupies Bosnia-Herzegovina; Britain gains Cyprus.
- date: 1878-07-15
  title: Bismarck declares success
  description: Bismarck tells the German press the treaty represents 'honest broker' mediation. Russia and Britain both claim partial victory, though neither achieved maximum goals.
- date: 1908-10-06
  title: Austria-Hungary formally annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina
  description: Thirty years after occupying Bosnia under the treaty, Austria-Hungary annexes it outright, triggering the Bosnian Crisis and deepening South Slavic nationalism.
- date: 1914-06-28
  title: Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo
  description: A Bosnian Serb nationalist kills the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The assassination, rooted in nationalist tensions over Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia, triggers World War I.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty"
  title: Treaty
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Treaty of Berlin prevented Russian dominance over the Balkans but locked Ottoman decline into legal form, creating territorial disputes and ethnic tensions that would fester for three decades. Austria-Hungary's occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina planted seeds for the 1914 assassination that triggered World War I.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- treaty_signing
- diplomatic_summit
- peace_accord
canonicalClasses:
- governance
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: gradual
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: How the 1878 Treaty of Berlin carved up Ottoman Europe and set the stage for WWI
wikidataQid: Q131569
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Ottoman Empire territorial control in Europe
  thenValue: ~55% of pre-1878 holdings
  thenYear: 1878
  nowValue: 0%
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Treaty stripped Ottoman control of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and other Balkan territories
- metric: Independent Balkan states recognized
  thenValue: 4 (Serbia, Romania, Montenegro, Bulgaria)
  thenYear: 1878
  nowValue: "7"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: "Added: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo"
- metric: European great powers with Balkan influence
  thenValue: Austria-Hungary gains Bosnia-Herzegovina; Russia gains Bessarabia
  thenYear: 1878
  nowValue: EU and NATO expand presence; Russia remains contested
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Berlin Congress formalized spheres of influence that persist in modified form
consequences:
- title: Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
  year: 1878
  description: Austria-Hungary gained administrative rights to Bosnia-Herzegovina under Article 25, creating decades of tension with Serbian nationalism and contributing to the powder keg that ignited World War I
- title: Bulgarian territory divided
  year: 1878
  description: "The treaty split Bulgaria into three parts: the Principality of Bulgaria, Eastern Rumelia (autonomous ottoman province), and Macedonia (returned to Ottoman control). Eastern Rumelia reunified with Bulgaria in 1885, but Macedonia remained disputed"
- title: Rise of Balkan nationalism and irredentism
  year: 1903
  description: The treaty's artificial boundaries and great-power compromises fueled nationalist movements. The Ilinden Uprising in Macedonia (1903) and subsequent Balkan Wars (1912-1913) challenged the settlement
- title: Russian-Austrian rivalry institutionalized
  year: 1908
  description: Austria-Hungary's formal annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908-permitted by the 1878 treaty language-directly triggered the Bosnian Crisis and deepened the Russia-Austria split that would metastasize into World War I alliances
- title: Ottoman decline accelerated
  year: 1912
  description: The treaty marked the beginning of Ottoman territorial collapse in Europe. The Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 expelled Ottoman forces entirely from the continent, validating the 1878 vision but in far more violent fashion
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: "The Treaty of Berlin occurred during the height of European imperialism and the Concert of Europe system. Otto von Bismarck orchestrated the conference as a display of German diplomatic power and rational realpolitik. The treaty reflected 19th-century great-power thinking: territories could be traded like commodities, and ethnic and religious populations were secondary to strategic balance. This mindset would prove catastrophic when nationalist movements rejected the imposed boundaries"
relatedQueries:
- Treaty of Berlin 1878 Bismarck
- Congress of Berlin Ottoman Empire
- Balkan territories 1878 redraw
- Bosnia-Herzegovina Austria-Hungary 1878
- Eastern Question European diplomacy 1878
- Treaty of Berlin impact World War I
- Bulgaria Eastern Rumelia 1878
- Russian-Austrian Balkans 19th century
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Treaty_of_Kadesh.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Kadesh.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Treaty_of_Kadesh.jpg/800px-Treaty_of_Kadesh.jpg"
  caption: Treaty
  credit: Wikipedia · "Treaty"
  width: 330
  height: 554
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Treaty_of_Comayagua_%28First_page%29.png/1280px-Treaty_of_Comayagua_%28First_page%29.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Treaty_of_Comayagua_%28First_page%29.png/800px-Treaty_of_Comayagua_%28First_page%29.png"
  caption: Treaty of Comayagua (First page)
  credit: Publicaciones de la secretaria de relaciones exteriores; Honduras, c. a.
  width: 563
  height: 687
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Ratified_Indian_Treaty_131_Cheyenne_-_Mouth_of_the_Teton_River_July_6_1825.jpg/1280px-Ratified_Indian_Treaty_131_Cheyenne_-_Mouth_of_the_Teton_River_July_6_1825.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Ratified_Indian_Treaty_131_Cheyenne_-_Mouth_of_the_Teton_River_July_6_1825.jpg/800px-Ratified_Indian_Treaty_131_Cheyenne_-_Mouth_of_the_Teton_River_July_6_1825.jpg"
  caption: Ratified Indian Treaty 131 Cheyenne - Mouth of the Teton River July 6 1825
  credit: The United States Government
  width: 4839
  height: 11002
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Treaty_between_Corinthians%2C_Epidaurians%2C_AM_of_Epidauros%2C_202583.jpg/1280px-Treaty_between_Corinthians%2C_Epidaurians%2C_AM_of_Epidauros%2C_202583.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Treaty_between_Corinthians%2C_Epidaurians%2C_AM_of_Epidauros%2C_202583.jpg/800px-Treaty_between_Corinthians%2C_Epidaurians%2C_AM_of_Epidauros%2C_202583.jpg"
  caption: Treaty between Corinthians, Epidaurians, AM of Epidauros, 202583
  credit: Zde
  width: 5274
  height: 3509
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260603052013/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-03
  label: Treaty
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty"
translations:
es:
lede: En julio de 1878, las potencias europeas se reunieron en Berlín para rediseñar el mapa del sureste de Europa tras la victoria de Rusia sobre el Imperio Otomano. El tratado despojó a los otomanos de casi un tercio de su territorio europeo restante, creó nuevos estados independientes y regiones autónomas, y entregó a Gran Bretaña el control de Chipre, remodelando fundamentalmente el equilibrio de poder en el Mediterráneo Oriental durante décadas.
summaryLong: Un tratado es un acuerdo internacional registrado entre estados soberanos u otros sujetos del derecho internacional que se rige por el derecho internacional. Un tratado también puede ser conocido como un acuerdo internacional, protocolo, pacto, convención, convenio o intercambio de notas, entre otros términos; sin embargo, solo los documentos que son vinculantes legalmente para las partes se consideran tratados según el derecho internacional. Los tratados pueden ser bilaterales o multilaterales.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T14:57:54.868Z"
fr:
lede: En juillet 1878, les puissances européennes se sont réunies à Berlin pour redessiner la carte de l'Europe du sud-est suite à la victoire de la Russie sur l'Empire ottoman. Le traité a dépouillé les Ottomans de près d'un tiers de leurs territoires européens restants, créé de nouveaux États indépendants et régions autonomes, et a remis à la Grande-Bretagne le contrôle de Chypre, remodelant fondamentalement l'équilibre des forces en Méditerranée orientale pour des décennies.
summaryShort: Un traité est un accord international enregistré entre des États souverains ou d'autres sujets du droit international qui est régi par le droit international. Un traité peut également être connu sous le nom d'accord international, protocole, pacte, convention, traité ou échange de lettres, entre autres termes; cependant, seuls les documents qui sont
summaryLong: Un traité est un accord international enregistré entre des États souverains ou d'autres sujets du droit international qui est régi par le droit international. Un traité peut également être connu sous le nom d'accord international, protocole, pacte, convention, traité ou échange de lettres, entre autres termes; cependant, seuls les documents qui sont juridiquement contraignants pour les parties sont considérés comme des traités en droit international. Les traités peuvent être bilatéraux ou multilatéraux.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T14:57:57.228Z"
de:
lede: Im Juli 1878 versammelten sich europäische Mächte in Berlin, um die Karte Südosteuropas nach Russlands Sieg über das Osmanische Reich neu zu zeichnen. Der Vertrag entzog den Osmanen fast ein Drittel ihres verbleibenden europäischen Territoriums, schuf neue unabhängige Staaten und autonome Regionen und übertrug Großbritannien die Kontrolle über Zypern – eine Umgestaltung des Kräfteverhältnisses im östlichen Mittelmeerraum für Jahrzehnte.
summaryShort: Ein Vertrag ist eine aufgezeichnete internationale Vereinbarung zwischen souveränen Staaten oder anderen Subjekten des Völkerrechts, die vom Völkerrecht geregelt wird. Ein Vertrag kann auch als internationale Vereinbarung, Protokoll, Bund, Übereinkommen, Pakt oder Notenwechsel bezeichnet werden, unter anderem; jedoch werden nur Dokumente berücksichtigt, die für die Parteien rechtsverbindlich sind
summaryLong: Ein Vertrag ist eine aufgezeichnete internationale Vereinbarung zwischen souveränen Staaten oder anderen Subjekten des Völkerrechts, die vom Völkerrecht geregelt wird. Ein Vertrag kann auch als internationale Vereinbarung, Protokoll, Bund, Übereinkommen, Pakt oder Notenwechsel bezeichnet werden, unter anderem; jedoch werden nur Dokumente berücksichtigt, die für die Parteien rechtsverbindlich sind. Verträge können bilateral oder multilateral sein.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T14:57:59.988Z"
