Pavel Milyukov’s Trip to the Balkans in the Winter of 1912–1913

Abstract

This article reconstructs P. N. Milyukov’s trip to the Balkans between December 20, 1912 and January 20, 1913, on the route St Petersburg — Vienna — Belgrade — Sofia — Thessaloniki — Belgrade — Vienna —Prague — Berlin — St Petersburg, using archival and published sources. Not only the date, but also many details of the trip were different from what is described in the politician’s memoirs. He was welcomed at the highest level in the Balkans. He twice had conversations with Serbian heir to the throne Alexander and Prime Minister N. Pasic. The Bulgarian tsar Ferdinand honored him with a two-hour audience, and current and former prime ministers I. Geshov and A. Malinov shared information with him. On the way back to St Petersburg, Czech public figures K. Kramář and T. G. Masaryk spoke with him. In addition, Milyukov spoke with the Russian envoys in Belgrade and Sofia, with the Bulgarian and Serbian representatives in Greece, as well as a number of Bulgarian and Macedonian activists of the national movement. Milyukov became acquainted with details of the formation of the Balkan Union, which went to war against Turkey, and with the details of the Austro-Serbian conflict. Bulgarian and Serbian officials presented him with their views on the conflict between these countries and with Greece over the partition of Macedonia. Confidential information was also shared with him, as he used as a communication channel between the Balkan states and Russia, and was perceived as a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Milyukov published some of his impressions and information in a series of articles in the newspaper Rech, but much remained recorded only in the travel notebook of the leader of the Cadets, but then it was used in the preparation of public speeches on the Balkan issue.