The Balkan Crisis and Revolutionary Parties in Russia in the Early 20th Century (Part 1, 1903−1908)

Introduction. Events in the Balkan Peninsula traditionally attracted the attention of society in the Russian Empire. Political parties and the press of various ideological persuasions closely followed the fate of the region and, above all, the Slavic population. In modern historiography, the topic of Russian society's perception of the Balkan crisis is one of the most popular. However, it cannot be considered exhaustive. An entire block of publications in the revolutionary press of the early 20th century is excluded from the research field: an article published in two parts will be devoted to the reflection of the Balkan Question in 1903−1913 (Part 1. 1903−1908, Part 2. 1908−1913).
Methods and Materials. The main objective of the research was to assess how the Balkan Question was covered in the pages of the printed organs of the Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, and Bolsheviks, as well as in their parliamentary speeches. Among the publications analyzed were the Social Democratic newspapers: «Iskra», «Sotsial-Demokrat», «Golos Sotsial-Demokrata», «Nasha Zarya», «Pravda»; the Socialist Revolutionary newspapers: «Revolyutsionnaya Rossiya», «Znamya Truda», «Izvestia Oblastnogo Komitet Zagranichnoy Organizatsiya»; Anarchist newspapers such as «Khleb i Volya», «Golos Truda».
Results. The study identified the main authors covering international issues in general and the Balkans in particular. The article highlights the similarities and differences in the approaches of the Social Democrats and Socialist Revolutionaries. The similarity lay in the fact that discussions of foreign policy became a tool for criticizing opponents within the country — the autocratic government and the Kadet Party. The Socialist Revolutionaries saw a way out of the protracted crisis in the liberalization of political regimes in the region, while the Social Democrats saw a way out of the protracted crisis in the formation of a Balkan Federation, including not only Slavic peoples but also Turkey, which would resolve national and economic contradictions and create a bloc against the Western European countries.
Discussion and Conclusion. The analysis may be of interest to specialists in the history of the liberation movement in Russia and specialists in the history of the Balkan countries.