Over the years, the borders of Southern Europe have changed drastically since 1914. The beginning of World War 1 was in 1914, and in that time Austria-Hungary was a country. In Austria-Hungary, there were several countries of Southern Europe that were included in this large all in one country. Now there are separate countries with many different borders. The borders of Southern Europe have changed over the years because of wars, political differences, and the fall of governments. World Wars 1 and 2 have both changed many borders throughout Southern Europe. When communism ended many countries in Southern Europe claimed independence and created new borders with their newly claimed sovereignty.