Mark Biondich is a professor of the Balkans at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His book, The Balkans, looks at the region following the decline of the Ottoman Empire. More specifically, he discusses how the contrasting forces of nationalism and foreign intervention have caused the mass violence which are unfortunately synonymous with Balkan history.
Balkan nationalist movements followed a similar path beginning with cultural revival and ending with political agitation for national liberation. In the sixty years between the First Serbian Uprising (1804) and the creation of an independent Romanian state in 1866, rebellions had arisen throughout the region all with the goal of establishing sovereign states. These national movements were …show more content…
Every Balkan nation experienced occupation, dictatorship or civil war. The only Balkan power that did not fall to Communism was Greece, due to the secret agreement between Stalin and Churchill which limited Soviet influence and increased British power. Where Balkan Communism makes itself unique is in the notion of National Communism. The rise of National Communism traces its roots to the Tito-Stalin split of 1948. After the break, Tito began to put into place practices that would be specifically planned to better Yugoslavia. Instead of focusing on cleansing the state, Tito instituted a new constitution that made no mention of minority groups, but instead used the term ‘nationalities’. Yugoslavia’s new constitution also limited the power of the state, going against the Soviet model. Romania under Ceausescu asserted more autonomy in foreign affairs and intensified Romanian national sentiment. Romania was the first Soviet Bloc nation to establish diplomatic relations with West Germany. Ceausescu’s anti-Soviet foreign moves were marked by western approval, with President Nixon making a state visit to Romania in 1969. The revival of Romanian national discourse attempted to eradicate the atrocities perpetrated by the Romanians during the Holocaust, even though ethnic cleansing was still being practiced. The appearance of reformist Mikhail Gorbachev in1985 spelt the end of Communism …show more content…
In the 2008 election, Serbia demonstrated a preference for reform and reconciliation with the European Union. Montenegro and Macedonia both have seen similar successes. These successes seem to stem from inclusion of minority populations, a problem which has plagued the area for centuries, as described above. Bosnia remains ethnically divided and under international control. Western intervention likewise has followed a path starting in the Greek Revolution to regulate the dissolution of empire and continuing into modernity. At this point, democracy and social order have not been stronger since 1989. The Balkans have continued to face the same issues they have been plagued by for centuries, but are now in a good place to
Balkan nationalist movements followed a similar path beginning with cultural revival and ending with political agitation for national liberation. In the sixty years between the First Serbian Uprising (1804) and the creation of an independent Romanian state in 1866, rebellions had arisen throughout the region all with the goal of establishing sovereign states. These national movements were …show more content…
Every Balkan nation experienced occupation, dictatorship or civil war. The only Balkan power that did not fall to Communism was Greece, due to the secret agreement between Stalin and Churchill which limited Soviet influence and increased British power. Where Balkan Communism makes itself unique is in the notion of National Communism. The rise of National Communism traces its roots to the Tito-Stalin split of 1948. After the break, Tito began to put into place practices that would be specifically planned to better Yugoslavia. Instead of focusing on cleansing the state, Tito instituted a new constitution that made no mention of minority groups, but instead used the term ‘nationalities’. Yugoslavia’s new constitution also limited the power of the state, going against the Soviet model. Romania under Ceausescu asserted more autonomy in foreign affairs and intensified Romanian national sentiment. Romania was the first Soviet Bloc nation to establish diplomatic relations with West Germany. Ceausescu’s anti-Soviet foreign moves were marked by western approval, with President Nixon making a state visit to Romania in 1969. The revival of Romanian national discourse attempted to eradicate the atrocities perpetrated by the Romanians during the Holocaust, even though ethnic cleansing was still being practiced. The appearance of reformist Mikhail Gorbachev in1985 spelt the end of Communism …show more content…
In the 2008 election, Serbia demonstrated a preference for reform and reconciliation with the European Union. Montenegro and Macedonia both have seen similar successes. These successes seem to stem from inclusion of minority populations, a problem which has plagued the area for centuries, as described above. Bosnia remains ethnically divided and under international control. Western intervention likewise has followed a path starting in the Greek Revolution to regulate the dissolution of empire and continuing into modernity. At this point, democracy and social order have not been stronger since 1989. The Balkans have continued to face the same issues they have been plagued by for centuries, but are now in a good place to