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LEFT BALIOL 393 BALKAN WARS of King John Baliol, a great English (or Norman) baron in the reign of Henry III., to whose cause he strongly attached himself in his struggles with the barons. In 1263 he laid the foundation of Baliol College, Oxford, which was completed by his widow, Devorguila or Devorgilla. She was daughter and co-heiress of Allan of Galloway, a great baron of Scotland, and of Margaret, eldest daughter of David, Earl of Huntington, brother of William the Lion. It was on the strength of this genealogy that his son John Baliol became temporary King of Scotland. He died in 1269. BALIOL, or BALLIOL, JOHN, King of Scotland; born about 1249. On the death of Margaret, the Maiden of Nor- way, and grandchild of Alexander III., Baliol claimed the vacant throne by vir- tue of his descent from David, Earl of Huntington, brother to William the Lion, King of Scotland. Robert Bruce (grand- father of the King) opposed Baliol; but Edward I.'s decision was in favor of Baliol, who did homage to him for the kingdom, Nov. 20, 1292. Irritated by Ed- ward's harsh exercise of authority, Baliol concluded a treaty with France, then at war with England; but, after the defeat at Dunbar he surrendered his crown into the hands of the English monarch. He was sent with his son to the Tower, but, by the intercession of the Pope, in 1297, obtained liberty to retire to his Norman estates, where he died in 1315. His son, Edward, in 1332, landed in Fife with an armed force, and having defeated a large army under the Regent Mar (who was killed), got himself crowned King, but was driven out in three months. BALIOL, or BALLIOL COLLEGE, Ox- ford, founded between 1263 and 1268 by John de Baliol, father of John Baliol, King of Scotland. The original founda- tion consisted of 16 poor scholars, and the revenue for their maintenance amounted for many years to only 8d. per week for each. From the 14th century on the college has been greatly enriched by various benefactions. The college consists of a master, 26 fellows and about 50 scholars and exhibitioners. John Wyclif was master of this college in 1361; its most famous master was Benja- min Jowett; among its scholars have been John Evelyn and Bradley the as- tronomer. Among eminent modern grad- uates were the poet Swinburne, Matthew Arnold, Hilaire Belloc, etc. BALIZE. See Belize. BALKAN PENINSULA, the usual name for the peninsula in southeastern Europe running southward between the Adriatic and the ^gean. The most con- venient northern boundary is the Save and the lower Danube; though histori- cally and politically Rumania and some parts of the former Austrian dominions are closely associated with the regions S. of the Danube. Greece is a peninsula upon a peninsula, but is not usually ac- counted one of the Balkan states. The home of so many diverse races, the peninsula has long been a hotbed of war- ring interests. Previous to the World War the Turk's hand may be said to have been against every man's hand, and every other against the Turk. Greeks and Bul- garians intrigued each against the other with Russia, and looked on the inheri- tance of the peninsula as exclusively theirs by right. Bulgarian and Serb, though cherishing the Slavonic name, met in the bloody campaign of 1885-1886. Macedonia in especial was demanded alike by Greek, Bulgar and Serb. And the case was further complicated by the hostile faiths — Latin Christianity, Greek Church, both Orthodox and United, and Mohammedanism. Greece, with the aid of the Great Pow- ers, obtained her independence in 1836, as also did Serbia in 1830-1867. Wal- lachia and Moldavia (now united in the kingdom of Rumania) were made trib- utary principalities by the Peace of Paris, 1856. Rumania and Serbia ob- tained their complete independence by the Berlin Treaty of 1878— the former receiving the Dobrudja in exchange for a portion of Bessarabia, which was re- stored to Russia; the latter having its area enlarged. The same treaty handed over to Austria-Hungary the administra- tion of Bosnia and Herzegovina and es- tablished the principality of Montenegro, the principality of Bulgaria, and the province of Eastern Rumelia, which was united with Bulgaria in 1886. As a re- sult of the Balkan Wars (q. v.) of 1912- 1913 and the World War (q. v.) of 1914- 1918 various political readjustments took place. For political, statistical, and other details see Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Jugoslavia, Montenegro, Ru- mania, Serbia, Turkey. BALKAN WARS, two conflicts which took place in the Balkans in the years 1912 and 1913. The indirect cause of the war arose from long-standing con- ditions in the Balkan peninsula. These included a dissatisfaction of Turkish rule in those portions of the Balkans under Turkish sovereignty; and to dissatisfac- tion over relations with Turkey in those states which are ostensibly independent. Its immediate cause was the weakening of the Turkish Government, resulting in