Whose Bosnia? : Nationalism and Political Imagination in the Balkans, 1840–1914

As the site of the assassination that triggered World War I and the place where the term "ethnic cleansing" was invented during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, Bosnia has become a global symbol of nationalist conflict and ethnic division. But as Edin Hajdarpasic shows, formative contestations over the region began well before 1914, emerging with the rise of new nineteenth-century forces―Serbian and Croatian nationalisms as well as Ottoman, Habsburg, Muslim, and Yugoslav political movements―that claimed this province as their own. __Whose Bosnia?__ reveals the political pressures and moral arguments that made this land a prime target of escalating nationalist activity. To explain the remarkable proliferation of national movements since the nineteenth century, Hajdarpasic draws on a vast range of sources―records of secret societies, imperial surveillance files, poetry, paintings, personal correspondences―spanning Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, and Austria. Challenging conventional readings of Balkan histories, __Whose Bosnia?__ provides new insight into central themes of modern politics, illuminating core subjects like "the people," state-building, and national suffering. Hajdarpasic uses South Slavic debates over Bosnian Muslim identity to propose a new figure in the history of nationalism: the __(br)other__, a character signifying at the same time the potential of being both "brother" and "Other," containing the fantasy of both complete assimilation and insurmountable difference. By bringing such figures into focus, __Whose Bosnia?__ shows nationalism to be an immensely dynamic and open-ended force, one that eludes any clear sense of historical closure. "As the site of the assassination that triggered World War I and the place where the term "ethnic cleansing" was invented during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, Bosnia has become a global symbol of nationalist conflict and ethnic division. But as Edin Hajdarpasic shows, formative contestations over the region began well before 1914, emerging with the rise of new nineteenth-century forces--Serbian and Croatian nationalisms as well as Ottoman, Habsburg, Muslim, and Yugoslav political movements--that claimed this province as their own. Whose Bosnia? reveals the political pressures and moral arguments that made this land a prime target of escalating nationalist activity. To explain the remarkable proliferation of national movements since the nineteenth century, Hajdarpasic draws on a vast range of sources--records of secret societies, imperial surveillance files, poetry, paintings, personal correspondences--spanning Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, and Austria. Challenging conventional readings of Balkan histories, Whose Bosnia? provides new insight into central themes of modern politics, illuminating core subjects like "the people," state-building, and national suffering. Hajdarpasic uses South Slavic debates over Bosnian Muslim identity to propose a new figure in the history of nationalism: the (br)other, a character signifying at the same time the potential of being both "brother" and "Other," containing the fantasy of both complete assimilation and insurmountable difference. By bringing such figures into focus, Whose Bosnia? shows nationalism to be an immensely dynamic and open-ended force, one that eludes any clear sense of historical closure."--Amazon.com As Edin Hajdarpasic shows, formative contestations over Bosnia and the surrounding region began well the assassination that triggered World War I, emerging with the rise of new nineteenth-century forces—Serbian and Croatian nationalisms, and Ottoman, Habsburg, Muslim, and Yugoslav political movements—that claimed this province as their own. Whose Bosnia? reveals the political pressures and moral arguments that made Bosnia a prime target of escalating nationalist activity. Hajdarpasic provides new insight into central themes of modern politics, illuminating core subjects like'the people,'state-building, and national suffering. Whose Bosnia? proposes a new figure in the history of nationalism: the (br)other, a character signifying the potential of being'brother'and'Other,'containing the fantasy of complete assimilation and insurmountable difference. By bringing this figure into focus, Whose Bosnia? shows nationalism to be a dynamic and open-ended force, one that eludes a clear sense of historical closure. Introduction: Whose Bosnia? -- 1. The Land Of The People -- 2. The Land Of Suffering -- 3. Nationalization And Its Discontents -- 4. Year X, Or 1914? -- 5. Another Problem -- Epilogue: Another Bosnia. Edin Hajdarpasic. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.