International Academic Conference 150 years since the Herzegovina Uprising: impact on regional security and European geopolitics, June 10-11, 2025, Belgrade [pp. 76-82]
AUTOR(I) / AUTHOR(S): Ladislav Zemánek 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/Herzegovina.076Z
SAŽETAK /ABSTRACT:
This article revisits the Uprising in Herzegovina (1875–77) and the broader Great Eastern Crisis (1875–78) on their 150th anniversary to explore how these events illuminate the transformation of international orders. Through a historical lens, it identifies patterns of imperial decline, nationalist fervour, and great power competition that echo in current geopolitical dynamics. By comparing the past events with the present-day conflict in Ukraine, this article draws lessons on the mechanisms of great power diplomacy and the enduring logic of realpolitik. Drawing parallels between 19th-century multipolarity and the present reconfiguration of global power, it examines how local conflicts can catalyse systemic change. The role of international diplomacy, public opinion, and competing ideological visions is analysed to draw relevant lessons for today’s fractured international landscape. The article concludes that while the tools and rhetoric have evolved, the fundamental drivers of geopolitical change remain consistent: balance of power, strategic interests, and the contested legitimacy of international orders—showing the cyclical nature of international order, driven by crises, negotiations, and recalibrations
KLJUČNE REČI / KEYWORDS:
balance of power, Berlin Congress, Great Eastern Crisis, Herzegovina Uprising, international order, multipolarity, Russia, war
PROJEKAT / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
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