European powder keg (Balkan Wars of the 20th century)

Author: (Russian) Zadonin, (Russian) Nizovskiy, translated by Xu Jindong, etc.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This book is part of the "20th Century Military Secrets Series," published by the Russian Vecher Publishing House in 2000. The authors are Dr. Zadonin, Director of the Department of Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Nizovskiy, a writer and historian. Politicians refer to the Balkans as the "powder keg" for a reason. The Balkans are a place where various dangerous and bloody conflicts intertwine because it is the convergence point of transcontinental connections, where Islam, Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Catholicism meet. This book begins with the birth of the Balkan Peninsula's nations and provides a detailed introduction to the centuries-long conflicts and tensions among the region's ethnic groups and nations. It comprehensively records and deeply analyzes the events and historical causes of several Balkan wars in the 20th century, presenting the authors' opinions and recommendations. The authors believe that the long-standing unresolved nature of the Balkan issue is partly due to the inherently conflictual origins of the Balkan peoples and the fact that the formation of nation-states has not yet been completed. Another reason is closely related to the involvement of external forces in Balkan affairs (accurately speaking, political interference), as these forces do not wish for Balkan countries to become international actors on par with them. In the authors' view, the future destiny of the Balkans depends on the characteristics of the process that combines the past, present, and future of the Balkan peoples, as well as on the trends of global development. It could either be integrated into the European socio-cultural space as a special region or remain a geopolitical transit hub—a buffer zone between European and Middle Eastern civilizations, a stage for various geopolitical interests and value conflicts. The authors suggest that a tolerant attitude toward other cultures and the habit of resolving conflicts without violence should be adopted, as this is the prerequisite for establishing a new world order. The Balkans should not become a testing ground for high-precision lethal weapons.