Pan-Slavism
The 19th century movement Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic peoples. Its main center was in the Balkans where Southern Slavs had been ruled over the two great empires, Austria and the Ottoman Empire, one way or another.
Origins
Pan-Slavism began much like Pan-Germanism, following the Napoleonic Wars. Austria's representitive in the Congress of Vienna, Metternich, pushed for returning Europe to the way it was before the wars. What Metternich feared most was the collapse of the Austrian Empire under a united slavic uprising, especially since Austria had inherited a massive slavic population over the centuries. Nationalism was a direct result of the Napoleonic Wars. Nationalism hit the Slavs and struck fear in the old aristocracy of Eastern Europe. A united Slavic movement could easily degenrate the Austrian and Ottoman Empires into Civil War.
Pan-Slavism co-existed with Southern Slavic independence. The Southern Slavs were some of the first to revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The old Empire was greatly weakening with revolts, revolutions, and civil wars. In 1806 and again in 1815, the Serbs secured their independence from the Ottomans. Almost immediately after Serbia's independence, the Serbs began seeking expansion and unity of all the southern slavs under their own rule.
Commonly used symbols of the Pan-Slavic movement were the Pan-Slavic colors (red, white and blue) and the Pan-Slavic anthem, Hej Sloveni.
Northern Pan-Slavism
Pan-Slavism was often divided between the Northern and the Southern. The Northern Slavs, Czechs, Slovaks, and Poles, sought to create their own independent states free from Austrian rule. The first Pan-Slav convention was held in Prague in 1848 and was specifically both anti-Austrian and anti-Russian. The relationship of the Russians of the Russian Empire to the movement was always troubled. The northern movement was suppressed heavily. By the three Empires, Austria, Prussia/Germany, and Russia.
The idea of unity of the Slavic people is all but gone in the post-Communist era. The idea of uniting even a few slavic peoples such as in Yugoslavia led to a horrific civil war. If unity could not be achieved on a smaller level, the idea of unity on a large sclae was almost hopeless. Resentment among ethnic groups (especially towards Russia) and the hardships in rebuilding Eastern Europe's economy have stiffled the once influential idea of Pan-Slavism.
Like other romantic nationalist movements, scholars in the developing fields of history, philology, and folklore actively encouraged feelings of shared identity.
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Balkan Pan-Slavism
Pan-Slavism in the south was much different, being that it often turned to Russia for support. The Pan-Slavic movement was based around Serbs and Serbia. The Serbian people sought to unite all of the Southern, Balkan slavs under their rule. The problem was that Serbia was a tiny nation and the Austro-Hungarian Empire,though unstable, was still a strong opponent that could crush Serbia easily. The idea of Russia protecting Southern Slavic unity was favored.Modern-day developments
Following World War I, the Pan-Slavic movement was, to an extent, successful. Czechoslovakia created a semi-northern Pan-Slavic state. In the south, the creation of Yugoslavia did unite most southern Slavs under the influence of the Serbs. The problem that Yugoslavia would face was the domination by the Serbs. The same was for Czechoslovakia where Slovaks resented Czech domination and majority. Domination and opposition ultimately led to their collapse in unity.