Extreme Politics: Nationalism, Violence, and the End of Eastern Europe

by Charles King

Overview

Why do some violent conflicts endure across the centuries, while others become dimly remembered ancient struggles among forgotten peoples? Is nationalism really the powerful force that it appeared to be in the 1990s? This wide-ranging work examines the conceptual intersection of nationalist ideology, social violence, and the political transformation of Europe and Eurasia over the last two decades. The end of communism seemed to usher in a period of radical change-an era of "extreme politics" that pitted nations, ethnic groups, and violent entrepreneurs against one another, from the wars in the Balkans and Caucasus to the apparent upsurge in nationalist mobilization throughout the region. But the last twenty years have also illustrated the incredible diversity of political life after the end of one-party rule. Extreme Politics engages with themes from the micropolitics of social violence, to the history of nationalism studies, to the nature of demographic change in Eurasia. Published twenty years since the collapse of communism, Extreme Politics charts the end of "Eastern Europe" as a place and chronicles the ongoing revolution in the scholarly study of the post-communist world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195370386
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/14/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Charles King is Professor of International Affairs and Government in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. A native of the Ozark hill country, he was educated at the University of Arkansas and Oxford University. He is the author of The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus and The Black Sea: A History, both published by Oxford University Press, as well as articles in Foreign Affairs, The Times Literary Supplement, and other publications.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations xi

1 Introduction 3

Part I Theory and Comparison

2 The National Origins of Nationalism Studies 15

3 Loser Nationalisms: How Certain Ideas of the Nation Succeed or Fail 37

4 The Micropolitics of Social Violence 55

Part II Eastern Europe and Eurasia

5 Post-Postcommunism: Is There Still an "Eastern Europe"? 79

6 The Benefits of Ethnic War 103

7 Diasporas and International Politics 133

8 Migration, Institutions, and Ethnicity 155

9 Conclusion: History and the Science of Politics 179

Notes 185

Bibliography 215

Index 235

Editorial Reviews

"King's treatment of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union is thoughtful"—Foreign Affairs

"A breathtaking and almost encyclopaedic review of the literature on nationalism, social violence, and the particularities of Eastern Europe in relation to those issues...In addition to the extensive literature review, the book provides solid foundations for the study of the role of institutions, political entrepreneurs and other micro-social categories in triggering violence...the book will appeal not only to academics, but also to practitioners, policy-makers and general readers interested in these topics."—INternational Affairs

"Charles King's book is primarily aimed at an academic audience, for whom this is clearly a must read. But there are so many worthwhile insights that even the lay reader interested in what has been going on in this fascinating part of the world will gain much of benefit as well."—Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs

"In this elegantly written collection of essays, Charles King offers a knowledgeable and intelligent excursion through the politics of nationalism, violence, post-communism, and the relationship between historical analysis and social scientific inquiry. King has given us not only a creative theoretical synthesis of the scholarship in these fields, but also fresh insight into the dynamics of politics and identities in a rapidly changing region of the world."—Mark Beissinger, Professor of Politics, Princeton University

"With a steady hand, sharp style, and deep insight, Charles King revisits postcommunist Europe and Eurasia to explore when, why, and how nationalism turns violent. A superb demonstration and a welcome reminder of the benefits gained from a serious and deep engagement with context and history."—Stathis Kalyvas, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Program on Order, Conflict, and Violence, Yale University

From the Publisher