History of the Balkans in Maps

Taking advantage of the weakening presence of western conquerors, a line of ambitious Serbian kings succeeded in conquering most of the western Balkans. By 1362, this Serbian Empire stretched deep into what is today modern Greece, and extended northward along the Dalmatian coast.

But the Serb obsession with controlling this area and adding territory in the north only provoked further resistance, especially in the mountainous areas of modern Bosnia and Albania. Moreover, in their zeal for consolidation, the Serb Kings forgot about the expanding Turkish threat to the south, while many in the newly "incorporated" areas began to hope that the arrival of the Turks might destroy their Serb masters and restore their own independence.

Thus, at the height of its power, the Serb Empire faced an immense crisis.