Overview

This book provides the first comprehensive examination of modern political partition and military conflict. Once touted as the most efficient geopolitical means for resolving ideological and ethnic strife, partition has too often served to deepen enmity and provoke further violence. Robert K. Schaeffer argues that partition and its accompanying conflicts have their roots not in ancient hatreds but in the political realities of the twentieth century. In a keen and lucid analysis, he reveals how the fate of these nations was dictated by the dreams and machinations of more powerful states, particularly Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Schaeffer also examines the spread of terrorism and guerrilla warfare in the divided states, as well as the destructive legacy of partition on democracy, citizenship, and sovereignty.

Full Product Details

9780847693344

Table of Contents

Reviews

This is a thoughtful reflection on the chequered history of partitioned states in the twentieth century. * International Affairs * Provides valuable information not only about the countries directly concerned but also about the overall state of affairs during the secong half of the last century. The fluid discussion of literature and skilfulness of comparisons and contracts provides an ongoing incentive to the reader. The categorisation of different patterns of partition, their chronological appearance and placement in the international scene becomes a useful tool for the study of international relations. * Nations and Nationalism * Schaeffer's present work is clearly written, informative, and adequately argued. It will interest scholars across several disciplines who work in the areas of ethnic politics, social and political movements, and state formation. * Politics, Social Movements, and The State * A decade ago Schaeffer published a brilliant comparative study of the partition of states. Shortly thereafter, the crumbling of the socialist bloc yielded new instances of secession in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, and Ethiopia, against which to test the generalizations of the earlier investigation. Schaeffer's new analysis, Severed States, provides a sober corrective to the optimism of all those who expect to solve their ethnic conflicts by splitting up their countries. Alternatives are proposed in the final chapter that seem more promising than separatism. The book's lucidity and its up-to-date coverage makes it a treat for specialists and a superb text for courses on nationalism. -- Metta Spencer, University of Toronto

A decade ago Schaeffer published a brilliant comparative study of the partition of states. Shortly thereafter, the crumbling of the socialist bloc yielded new instances of secession in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, and Ethiopia, against which to test the generalizations of the earlier investigation. Schaeffer's new analysis, Severed States, provides a sober corrective to the optimism of all those who expect to solve their ethnic conflicts by splitting up their countries. Alternatives are proposed in the final chapter that seem more promising than separatism. The book's lucidity and its up-to-date coverage makes it a treat for specialists and a superb text for courses on nationalism.--Spencer, Metta

Author Information

Robert K. Schaeffer is associate professor of sociology at San Jose State University and former managing editor of In These Times and Greenpeace. He is the author most recently of Understanding Globalization: The Social Consequences of Political, Economic, and Environmental Change (Rowman & Littlefield, 1997).

Tab Content 6

Countries Available