The 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War deals a decisive blow to Ottoman power in the Balkan Peninsula, leaving the empire with only a precarious hold on Macedonia and the Albanian-populated lands.

The Albanians' fear that the lands they inhabit will be partitioned among Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece fuels the rise of Albanian nationalism.

The first postwar treaty, the abortive Treaty of San Stefano signed on March 3, 1878, assigns Albanian-populated lands to Serbia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria.

Austria- Hungary and Britain block the arrangement because it awards Russia a predominant position in the Balkans and thereby upsets the European balance of power.

A peace conference to settle the dispute is held later in the year in Berlin.