(A) the largest weapons factories were there
(B) it was heavily fortified/defended
(C) it was on the trade route to the powerful Ottoman Empire
(D) ** nationalist groups there were creating instability in the region
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -3: The Balkan Powder Keg . The continuing collapse of the Ottoman Empire coincided with the rise of nationalism in the Balkans, which led to increased tensions and conflicts in the region. This “powder keg” was thus a major catalyst for the outbreak of World War I.
Concept note-2: -This Triple Entente, which squared o against the German-Austro-Hungarian alliance, meant that any regional conict had the potential to turn into a general European war. As a result, the Balkans were known as the “powder keg” of Europe. A powder keg is a container for gunpowder which can erupt if there is a spark.
Concept note-3: -The region has been troubled by many conflicts and wars throughout the centuries. It has often been called the “Powder Keg of Europe” because conflicts and wars have started there. The countries that make up the Balkans are Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina .
Concept note-4: -The Powder Keg of Europe is a term used to describe the situation in the Balkan Peninsula before World War I. This situation involved the wish of many Slavic people living in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to be free of Austrian rule. This desire was supported by Russia, the largest Slavic nation in Europe.
Concept note-5: -The Balkans have traditionally been an area of turmoil and political instability. The explosion of nationalism throughout the region and the intervention of the Great Powers in the 1800s earned the area the reputation as the powder keg of Europe.