Inventing a War. In Search of the Concept of the Last Austro-Turkish War over the Balkans (1788–1791)

Abstract

The Austro-Turkish War of 1788–1791 was one of the failed attempts by the Austrians to “reconquer” the Balkans. Probably for this reason, this military conflict is still awaiting a monographic interpretation both in American/European and Turkish historiography. For two centuries now, historians have been searching for the concept of the last Austro-Turkish War over the Balkans, and the present article is one of the first attempts to characterize the problems researchers face when they take up this issue. The article also outlines promising directions for further studies.