The Balkans: A Short History
by Mark Mazower
2021-01-02 05:43:15
The Balkans: A Short History
by Mark Mazower
2021-01-02 05:43:15
A brilliant and original history of the perennial cockpit of European history, revealing with piercing clarity the historical roots of current conflicts and social and political developments. The book will focus on the emergence of nation-states in t...
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A brilliant and original history of the perennial cockpit of European history, revealing with piercing clarity the historical roots of current conflicts and social and political developments. The book will focus on the emergence of nation-states in the 19th and 20th centuries out of the collapsing Ottoman and Hapsburg empires, taking the story through the world wars and the Cold War to the collapse of communism, the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the continuing search for stability in south eastern Europe.Crucial to our understanding of the Balkans is its geographical position as a bridge between Europe and Asia where it has been exposed to a constant incursion of nomad peoples across the centuries; and also its mountainous terrain which makes farming hard and political control almost impossible but which has allowed small communities to live side by side through to the end of the 20th century. This will be a vital book for students as well as the general reader who wants a lively and authoritative introduction to the subject. It will also provide the foundations from which to answer questions about the Balkans today: is it a har
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