Description

From the late 14^th century until the 19^th century the Ottoman Empire dominated the interior of the southwestern Balkans, while until its dissolution in 1797, the Republic of Venice controlled the Adriatic.  However, in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, the Austrian Habsburg Empire, the Ottoman’s ancient enemy, took possession of Dalmatia, while Serbia rebelled against the Sublime Porte, winning its de facto independence in 1830 (albeit controlling only Belgrade and what is today central Serbia).  In the coming decades, Russia, France and Austria would compete for influence in the region, at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, which was described as ‘Sick Man of Europe’.

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-8, the Russians and their Balkan allies utterly throttled the Ottomans, with only the last-minute diplomatic intervention of Britain and France preventing them from taking Istanbul.  At the Congress of Berlin (June 13 – July 13, 1878), that ordained the postwar settlement, Serbia and Montenegro gained their full independence from the Sublime Porte, while Bosnia & Hercegovina placed under Austro-Hungarian rule (although it would remain a de jure part of the Sultan’s realm), with Vienna being given vague rights to place military garrisons in the Ottoman Sanjak of Novi Pazar.

Novi Pazar was the ‘keystone’ of the Southwestern Balkans, at it was wedged between Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.  Critically, Austro-Hungarian control of the district would prevent Serbia and its brother state Montenegro from forming a physical union.  This would contain Serbia (an Austro-Hungarian rival), while preventing Russia (Serbia’s prime foreign sponsor) from gaining direct access to the Mediterranean, through control of a Montenegrin port.  Critically, this was in line with one of Britain global priorities, keeping Russia in check as part the “Great Game’.

During the period between the summer of 1878 and the spring of 1879, the situation in the Southwestern Balkans was tense, as the Ottomans felt threatened by Austro-Hungarian intentions in Novi Pazar.  Any wrong move, or even innocent misunderstanding, could lead to war, a point not lost on either side.  At the same time, the Austro-Hungarians knew relatively little about the district, and actively sought intelligence that could inform their next moves.  It was seemingly within this context that the present map was created.

To clarify matters and to ease tensions, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman emissaries met to agree upon the Convention of April 21, 1879.  By this accord, Austria-Hungary would inform the Sublime Porte in advance of any movements of their troops into Novi Pazar and would promise to post only a pre-arranged number of troops at mutually agreed locations.  Concurrently, the Ottomans could post an equal number of troops, likewise at pre-arranged garrisons.  The Austrians vowed not to interfere in the Ottomans’ civil governance of the sanjak, while both sides agreed to remain in constant contact to avoid misunderstandings.

Beginning on September 10, l879, pursuant to discussions with the Ottomans, the Austro-Hungarians deployed 4,000-5,000 troops to various posts in Novi Pazar.

Fortunately, this inherently awkward arrangement was made viable due to the presence of Ferik Suleiman Pasha, the local Ottoman military commander.  He was a strong but mild-mannered figure, blessed with superlative diplomatic skills.  He formed a stellar rapport with the local Austro-Hungarian commanders and both sides succeeded in ensuring that the environment was calm, if not amicable.  The Austro-Hungarians would maintain their military presence in the region until 1908 when they agreed to withdraw from Novi Pazar in exchange for being given permanent sovereignty over Bosnia (which proved fateful, as the World War I would be sparked in Sarajevo!).  Novi Pazar and Kosovo would be conquered by Serbia during the First Balkan War (October 8, 1912 – May 30, 1913), so ending over 500 years of the Ottoman presence in the region.

The Present Manuscript in Focus

The present manuscript map, while anonymous, was clearly made by an Austro-Hungarian military officer or agent as an intelligence aid, seemingly between the Congress of Berlin (June 13 to July 13, 1878) and the Convention of April 21, 1879, a tense period when Austria-Hungary was trying to find the best way to militarily occupy the Sanjak of Novi Pazar (a district which was little known to them) without provoking Ottoman ire.  It seems to be the result of a clandestine reconnaissance mission conducted from Bosnia into Ottoman, and perhaps Serbian and Montenegrin, territories.

The German-language map embraces much of the Western Balkans, from “Sissek” (Sisak, Croatia), Bihać (Bosnia) and Belgrade, in the north, down south as far as “Cattaro” (Kotor) and Budva (Montenegro) and “Üsküb” (Skopje, Macedonia), and extending from the Adriatic, in the west, to the Danube, in the east.  The focus of the map is upon Bosnia (left centre) and Serbia, the Sanjak of Novi Pazar and Kosovo (right centre).  Key centres in between are Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia; ‘Nowibazar’ (Novi Pazar), the seat of the eponymous sanjak; and “Mitrowitza” (Mitrovica, Kosovo), the terminus of the strategically vital railway which ran up from Salonika (Thessaloniki) via Üsküb, having been completed in 1874.

The sketch map employs broad strokes of coloured crayon to show areas of elevation, with spot heights given in feet, while all major cities and towns are neatly labelled in black pen, with rivers as blue lines, and major roads as red lines.  One will immediately notice that Dalmatia and Bosnia, areas that were already safely under Austro-Hungarian control, appear only in a skeletal form, while the ‘target areas’ of intelligence gathering, being Serbia, Novi Pazar and Kosovo, are show in much greater detail.

The purpose of the map seems to be to provide options for military movement through Bosnia into Novi Pazar (and possibly, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo), as all viable transport corridors are clearly expressed.  The two cross-sections on the map that traverse the boundaries of Bosnia and Novi Pazar and Montenegro and Kosovo, respectively (which are featured in profile by pencil sketches in the lower left of the map), emphasize the great challenges that troops faced in operating is such a rugged land.  In many places along the way, the author provides informative annotations in pencil.

Indeed, the map appears to be a blueprint for Austro-Hungarian military commanders to plan their delicate and risky entry into the Sanjak of Novi Pazar, so presaging 30 years of Habsburg dominance over the region.  The present manuscript is thus worthy of further academic research.

References: N/A – Present manuscript map not recorded.