an alliance between Greece, Rumania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia that was concluded in Athens on Feb. 9, 1934; its purpose was to maintain the balance of forces that developed in the Balkans after World War I. The alliance was created on the initiative of French ruling circles, who viewed it as a way to further strengthen their influence in southeastern Europe. Two members of the Balkan Entente, Rumania and Yugoslavia, simultaneously joined the Little Entente, which was also closely tied to France.
The treaty creating the entente provided a mutual guarantee for the security of the Balkan borders of its participants and for mutual aid in the event of an attack on any one of them. Soon after the creation of the entente, Germany and Italy, exploiting the serious contradictions among the members and drawing on the support of pro-Fascist groups in Greece, Rumania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia, seriously undermined French influence in the Balkans and strengthened their own positions in the countries of the entente. World War II (1939–45) put an end to the Balkan Entente.