The Powder Keg of Europe: Balkan Wars of the 20th Century – Military Secrets 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 Zadonin, Director of the Department of Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, a Doctor of Political Science, and a Professor, and Nizovskiy, a writer and historian. Politicians call the Balkan region a "powder keg" for a reason. The Balkans are a place where various dangerous and bloody conflicts intertwine because it is the intersection of transcontinental connections, where Islam, Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Catholicism converge. This book begins with the birth of the Balkan Peninsula's nations and provides a detailed introduction to the long-standing conflicts and tensions among the peoples and nations in the region over the centuries. It comprehensively recounts and deeply analyzes the events and historical causes of several Balkan wars in the 20th century, presenting the authors' views and recommendations. The authors believe that the long-standing unresolved nature of the Balkan issue is partly due to the inherently conflicting origins of the Balkan peoples themselves and the fact that the formation stage of the nation-states in the region has not yet ended. The second reason is closely related to the involvement of external forces in Balkan affairs (accurately speaking, political interference), as these external forces do not wish for the Balkan states 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 may 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 Near Eastern civilizations, a stage for various geopolitical interests and value conflicts. The authors suggest that one should adopt a tolerant attitude toward other cultures and develop the habit of resolving conflicts without violence, as this is the prerequisite for establishing a new world order. The Balkans should not become a testing ground for high-precision lethal weapons.