A Modern History of the Balkans : Nationalism and Identity in Southeast Europe

The history of the Balkans has been a distillation of the great and terrible themes of 20th century history – the rise of nationalism, communism, fascism, genocide, identity and war. Written by one of the leading historians of the region, this is a new interpretation of that history, focusing on the uses and legacies of nationalism in the Balkan region. In particular, Professor Veremis analyses the influence of the West - from the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise and collapse of Yugoslavia. Throughout the state-building process of Greece, Serbia, Rumania, Bulgaria and later, Albania, the West provided legal, administrative and political prototypes to areas bedevilled by competing irredentist claims. At a time when Slovenia, Rumania, Bulgaria and Croatia have become full members of the EU, yet some orphans of the Communist past are facing domestic difficulties, A Modern History of the Balkans seeks to provide an important historical context to the current problems of nationalism and identity in the Balkans. Contents Preface List of abbreviations PART I The Balkans from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-first Century: the Building and Dismantling o ONE Perceptions and Misreadings TWO Common Elements in the State Formation of the Nineteenth Century THREE From the Nation State to the Stateless Nation FOUR Albanians, South-Slavs and Bulgarians FIVE Era of Ferment and Wars SIX The Interwar Conundrum International developments SEVEN From War to Communism The war years The postwar Communist regimes EIGHT The Balance of Forces in the Balkans The Macedonian issue: a conflict transformed Relations between Greece and the Balkan communist states after 1967 NINE In Search of Multilateralism TEN Redefining Security: Yugoslavia 1989-95 PART II The Balkans in Comparative Perspective ELEVEN Nationalism and Identity in the Balkans The incarnations of the ‘nation’ in current affairs TWELVE The Economies THIRTEEN The Army in Politics Yugoslavia Bulgaria Romania Albania FOURTEEN Western Amateurs and the End of History PART III Unfinished Business FIFTEEN The Macedonian Question 1991-2010 SIXTEEN Independence for Kosovo SEVENTEEN Bosnia-Herzegovina: An Intractable Problem? EPILOGUE The Chances of Post-Modernity in the Balkans Chronology Notes 1 Perceptions and misreadings 2 Common elements in the state formation 3 From the nation state to the stateless nation 4 Albanians, South-Slavs and Bulgarians 5 Era of ferment and wars 6 The interwar conundrum 7 From war to communism 8 The balance of forces in the Balkans 9 In search of multilateralism 10 Redefining security: Yugoslavia 1989-95 11 Nationalism and identity in the Balkans 12 The economies 13 The army in politics 14 Western amateurs and the end of history 15 The Macedonian question 1991-2010 16 Independence for Kosovo 17 Bosnia-Herzegovina: an intractable problem? Epilogue Index