Battles & Campaigns · 1934
Balkan Pact
Athens, Greece
What happened
The four countries agreed to set aside their territorial claims against each other and their neighbours. They aimed to keep the borders set after the First World War. Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Soviet Union did not join.
Why it matters
It helped keep peace among its members, though rivalries in the region continued. It was aimed largely at Bulgaria.
What came next
In 1938 the members signed an agreement with Bulgaria letting it rearm, and the pact effectively ended when the Axis invaded Yugoslavia and Greece in 1941.
Did you know?
Although the pact was designed against Bulgaria, its members later signed the Salonika Agreement with Bulgaria.
Timeline
- 9 Feb 1934Balkan Pact signed in Athens.
- 8 Jul 1937Treaty of Saadabad.
- 31 Jul 1938Salonika Agreement with Bulgaria.
- 1941The Axis invades Yugoslavia and Greece.