Curated playlist
Former countries in the Balkans
- Austrian EmpireIn 1804, Francis II declared himself Emperor of Austria out of fear of Napoleon. He was already Holy Roman Emperor.
- Kingdom of RomaniaRomania's parliament crowned a German prince as its first king in 1881. The Kingdom of Romania lasted until 1947.
- Socialist Republic of RomaniaRomania's Nicolae Ceaușescu was executed after a trial that lasted an hour and a half. Days before, a crowd booed him.
- Kingdom of SerbiaThe Kingdom of Serbia lasted only thirty-six years, from 1882 to 1918. It fought four wars and doubled its population.
- Austria-HungaryIn 1867, Emperor Franz Joseph signed laws creating the Dual Monarchy of Austria and Hungary. It lasted until 1918.
- First Bulgarian EmpireAfter a defeat in 680, a Byzantine emperor had to pay tribute to people he called "unclean and newly emerged."
- Latin EmpireThe Latin Empire ended in 1261 when roughly 800 soldiers opened a city gate. They were only scouts.
- Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire never called itself Byzantine. Its citizens called themselves Romans, and the name came later.
- Ottoman EmpireThe last Ottoman sultan, Mehmed VI, was a direct male-line descendant of the empire's first sultan, Osman I.
- YugoslaviaYugoslavia's Tito broke with Stalin in 1948, then asked the United States for aid.