Western Intervention in the Balkans
The Strategic Use of Emotion in Conflict

This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period.

Roger D. Petersen (Author)

9781107010666, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 September 2011

350 pages, 19 b/w illus. 4 maps 4 tables
24.1 x 16.1 x 2.3 cm, 0.63 kg

“Roger Petersen's new book offers a fascinating account of the politics of conflict intervention in the Western Balkans and beyond. Following up on his previous book on ethnic conflict and emotions, Petersen shows how different contemporary configurations of power and status and past histories of violence leave various emotional residues that can be strategically used to sabotage or enhance a peace or prevention plan. Rationally calculating international policy makers thus meet strategically operating local politicians who in turn play with the moods and memories of the population at large. A brilliant demonstration that taking emotions and their historical origins seriously does neither come at the prize of theoretical sophistication nor methodological rigor but can enhance both.”
– Andreas Wimmer, University of California, Los Angeles

Conflicts involve powerful experiences. The residue of these experiences is captured by the concept and language of emotion. Indiscriminate killing creates fear; targeted violence produces anger and a desire for vengeance; political status reversals spawn resentment; cultural prejudices sustain ethnic contempt. These emotions can become resources for political entrepreneurs. A broad range of Western interventions are based on a view of human nature as narrowly rational. Correspondingly, intervention policy generally aims to alter material incentives ('sticks and carrots') to influence behavior. In response, poorer and weaker actors who wish to block or change this Western implemented 'game' use emotions as resources. This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period. The book concentrates on the conflicts among Albanian and Slavic populations (Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, South Serbia), along with some comparisons to Bosnia.

Part I. Background and Theory: 1. Western intervention in the Balkans: the strategic use of emotion in conflict
2. Emotions as resources
3. The strategic use of emotions I: theory
4. Western intervention games
5. The strategic use of emotions II: developing strategies, examples from non-Balkan cases
6. The strategic use of emotions III: hypotheses
Part II. Cases and Tests: 7. Background to Western intervention in the Balkans
8. The case of the Roma
9. Background on Kosovo
10. Kosovo: waiting for the West
11. Kosovo: intervention games I
12. Kosovo: intervention games II
13. Kosovo conclusions
14. South Serbia
15. Macedonia
16. Bosnia
17. Montenegro
18. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: International law [LB], International relations [JPS], Comparative politics [JPB], Ethnic studies [JFSL]