War and Change in the Balkans: Nationalism, Conflict and Cooperation

The violence following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia has lasted for more than a decade and continues to mark the region. This 2006 volume analyses the causes of the conflict and describes its course from the onset of war in Croatia to intervention in Kosovo. The book concentrates on four key transformations: the demise of Yugoslavia and the creation of new states; the importance of nationalist ideologies in the preparation of war and their subsequent decline in the post conflict era; the role of international actors as policy makers, implementing agencies, and arbiters; and the process of democratization and integration into European structures. With contributions from some of the world's leading scholars of the Balkans and personal accounts from journalists, diplomats, and civil servants drawing upon their own experiences of war and transition, War and Change in the Balkans provides an unparalleled insight into contemporary European history.

Table of Contents:
1. War and change in the Balkans Brad K. Blitz; 2. Yugoslavia: state construction and state failure George Schöpflin; 3. The politics of national homogeneity Ivo Banac; 4. Milo∫evic's motiveless malignancy Srdja Popovic; 5. Germany and the recognition of Slovenia and Croatia Daniele Conversi; 6. From Bosnia to Kosovo and beyond: mistakes and lessons Kemal Kurspahic; 7. American cooperation with the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia: 1994–9 William A. Stuebner; 8. The European Union's international role in the Balkans Fraser Cameron; 9. The disintegration of Yugoslavia, Macedonia's independence and stability in the Balkans Andrew Rossos; 10. The war in Croatia Branka Magas; 11. Negotiating peace in Croatia: a personal account of the road to Erdut Peter Galbraith; 12. The fall of Srebrenica David Rohde; 13. The war over Kosovo Noel Malcolm; 14. Kosovo and the prognosis for 'humanitarian war' Mark Bartolini; 15. The international administration of Kosovo since 1999 Bryan Hopkinson; 16. The dissolution of Yugoslavia: state-building and Greek exceptionalism Thanos Veremis; 17. Turkey, south-eastern Europe and Russia Ali Karaosmanoglu; 18. In search of Bulgaria's new identity: the role of diplomacy 1989–99 Philip Shashko; 19. Albania, Italy and Greece: some geopolitical considerations Carole Hodge; 20. New beginnings? Refugee returns and post conflict integration in the former Yugoslavia Brad K. Blitz.

About the Author :
Brad K. Blitz received his PhD from Stanford University and is currently Reader in Political Geography at Oxford Brookes University. He has written extensively on the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and has taught causes in international and comparative politics, refugee and migration studies at Stanford University, the University of California Santa Cruz, Middlesex University, Roehampton University and Oxford Brookes University.

Review :
'An impressive collection of essays that provides valuable insight into the forces of change that have buffeted the former Yugoslavia since the end of the Cold War. Blitz has brought together in a single volume some of the world's leading scholars, journalists and diplomats to produce an excellent guide to this troubled region.' Dr Richard Caplan, University of Oxford and author of Europe and the Recognition of New States in Yugoslavia (Cambridge, 2005) 'War and Change in the Balkans will smash some of the major illusions and myths about the Yugoslav break-up and wars. It is full of good sense and a welcome corrective to the various contrived explanations which abound in the field of Yugoslav studies. Brad Blitz and his contributors bring clarity, integrity, and insight to their task and have produced a volume which will be useful for specialists, generalists, practitioners, and students alike.' Professor Sabrina P. Ramet, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and author of Balkan Babel: The Disintegration of Yugoslavia from the Death of Tito to the Fall of Milo evic (2002) and Thinking about Yugoslavia: Scholarly Debates about the Yugoslav Breakup and the Wars in Bosnia and Kosovo (Cambridge, 2005). '... this volume contains an impressive array of perspectives, bringing contributors from a broad range of backgrounds including diplomacy, NGO's, journalism, law and academia. ... Through the breadth of its scope, this volume should appeal to both new students of the Balkans and advanced scholars. It provides a valuable insight into a traumatic period in modern European history and will add stimulus to unresolved debates.' Journal of Peace Research