1912 Hammond Map of the First Balkan War

Important Precursor to the Great War.

This is a 1912 C. S. Hammond map of the Balkans and southeastern Europe illustrating the theater of war of the First Balkan War (October 1912 - May 1913), an oft-forgotten but important precursor to World War I (1914 - 1918).

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces southeastern Europe from Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire (Moldova) in the north to Crete and Anatolia in the south. Countries are color-shaded, with cities labeled throughout, along with fortifications, waterways, and rail lines.

The First Balkan War

The First Balkan War (October 1912 - May 1913) was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan League, an alliance of Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro, all of which had achieved independence from the Ottomans in the preceding decades. The conflict arose from the League's desire to drive the Ottomans out of their remaining European territories and to divide these lands among themselves. The war began when Montenegro declared war on the Ottoman Empire in October 1912, soon joined by its allies. The Balkan states' armies, well-organized and motivated by nationalism, quickly advanced through Ottoman-held territories in Macedonia, Thrace, and Albania. Major victories at Kumanovo and Lule Burgas demonstrated the weakening grip of the Ottoman Empire, whose forces were hampered by internal disorganization and outdated military infrastructure.

By early 1913, the Ottoman Empire had lost nearly all its European lands west of Constantinople (Istanbul), formalized in the May 1913 Treaty of London. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Turkish and other refugees (muhacirs) fled the conquered lands. However, the distribution of the conquered territories quickly became a source of discord among the victors. Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share compared to Serbia and Greece, turned against its former allies, leading to the outbreak of the Second Balkan War just weeks later. Thus, while the First Balkan War marked a decisive defeat for the Ottoman Empire, it also exposed the fragility of the Balkan alliance and set the stage for further regional conflict. In particular, Serbia was emboldened by its gains in the two Balkan Wars (its territory increased by 81 percent), and Serbian nationalists aimed to break off the southern provinces of Austria-Hungary (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the background to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the outbreak of the Great War.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by C. S. Hammond and Co. in 1912. It is noted in the OCLC among the holdings of the University of California Berkeley, the University of California Davis, Stanford University, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the University of Michigan. The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection also holds an example.

Cartographer

Caleb Stillson Hammond (1862 - 1929) was the founder of C. S. Hammond & Company, a map making and printing firm based in Brooklyn, New York. Hammond started his career in mapmaking as the head of Rand McNally's offices in New York City, where he began working in 1894. Hammond split with Rand McNally, forming his own printing concern in Brooklyn, New York, in 1900. The firm was subsequently incorporated in 1901 and relocated to Manhattan, and then to Maplewood, New Jersey, near Hammond's family home. Hammond rose to become one of the largest cartographic publishers in the United States, second only to Rand McNally in volume. On his retirement, C. S. Hammond passed the firm to his son, who subsequently passed it to his own son, C. D. Hammond, who sold the company to Langenscheidt Publishers in 1999. The firm has since been folded into Universal Map, an affiliate of Kappa Publishing Group. This archives of the Hammond World Atlas Corporation, an invaluable resource, where donated to the Library of Congress in 2002.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Wear along original fold lines. Light soiling.

References

Rumsey 3711.002. OCLC 16729124, 953569957.