Hardback : $149.00
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? In this wide-ranging and readable set of essays, Charles King 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 politicsthat 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. Understanding these changes requires an appreciation for the multiple pathways from communism, as well as the particular ways in which scholars from the West have engaged with the region. As King shows, recognizing the intellectual predispositions and trajectories in the West is critical to understanding how scholars have interpreted-and at times misinterpreted-the complex politics of the ex-communist East. Extreme Politics engages with themes from the micropolitics of social violence, to the history of nationalism studies, to the nature of migration and demographic change in Eurasia. Published exactly twenty years since the collapse of the Communist system, Extreme Politics charts the end of Eastern Europeas a place and chronicles the ongoing revolution in the scholarly study of Russia, the Balkans, and the wider postcommunist world.
Show moreWhy 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? In this wide-ranging and readable set of essays, Charles King 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 politicsthat 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. Understanding these changes requires an appreciation for the multiple pathways from communism, as well as the particular ways in which scholars from the West have engaged with the region. As King shows, recognizing the intellectual predispositions and trajectories in the West is critical to understanding how scholars have interpreted-and at times misinterpreted-the complex politics of the ex-communist East. Extreme Politics engages with themes from the micropolitics of social violence, to the history of nationalism studies, to the nature of migration and demographic change in Eurasia. Published exactly twenty years since the collapse of the Communist system, Extreme Politics charts the end of Eastern Europeas a place and chronicles the ongoing revolution in the scholarly study of Russia, the Balkans, and the wider postcommunist world.
Show moreAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
Part One: Theory and Comparison
2. The National Origins of Nationalism Studies
3. Loser Nationalisms: How Certain Ideas of the Nation Succeed or
Fail
4. The Micropolitics of Social Violence
Part Two: Eastern Europe and Eurasia
5. Post-postcommunism, or Is There Still an "Eastern Europe?"
6. The Benefits of Ethnic War
7. Diasporas and International Politics
8. Migration, Institutions, and Ethnicity
9. Conclusion
Tables
Bibliography
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.
"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
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
