Ethnic/National ConflictEthnic/National Conflict

Violence, Genocide, and InterventionsViolence, Genocide, and Interventions

Nazis in WWII

Rwanda

What is an Ethnic Group?What is an Ethnic Group?

A large group of people who share ancestral, A large group of people who share ancestral, language, cultural, or religious ties and a common language, cultural, or religious ties and a common identity.identity.

Thus, this is very subjective and abstract, but has Thus, this is very subjective and abstract, but has importance when many people begin to agree.importance when many people begin to agree.

Ethnicity and Nationality have very similar Ethnicity and Nationality have very similar definitions and sometimes are one-in-the-same definitions and sometimes are one-in-the-same for the Kurds, Kosovars, Chiapas, etc.for the Kurds, Kosovars, Chiapas, etc.

I believe this is from Cambodia: The effect of the Pol Pot Regime

Why should we study ethnic Why should we study ethnic conflicts or civil wars?conflicts or civil wars?

Why Ethnicity/Nationality is relevant Why Ethnicity/Nationality is relevant to IR and world politics:to IR and world politics:

Nations often identify with territory.Nations often identify with territory.Claim to Self-Determination.Claim to Self-Determination.Groups spread across borders.Groups spread across borders.May lead to terrorism or civil war that May lead to terrorism or civil war that

crosses borders.crosses borders.Affects the foreign policy of states.Affects the foreign policy of states.States may aid or instigate problems with States may aid or instigate problems with

groups in foreign statesgroups in foreign states

How is ethnicity related to conflict How is ethnicity related to conflict and violence?and violence?

In-group/out-group phenomenon: Other In-group/out-group phenomenon: Other groups seem to be different and foreign, and groups seem to be different and foreign, and thus potentially threatening.thus potentially threatening.

In the worst case situations, people become In the worst case situations, people become dehumanized, which makes it possible to kill dehumanized, which makes it possible to kill them like lesser beings.them like lesser beings.Nazis with the Jews and SlavsNazis with the Jews and SlavsYugoslaviaYugoslaviaTutsis and Hutus in AfricaTutsis and Hutus in Africa

Ethnicity and violent conflict contd?Ethnicity and violent conflict contd?

Past (sometimes long) histories of conflict Past (sometimes long) histories of conflict that spiral.that spiral.

Becomes impossible who was to tell for Becomes impossible who was to tell for original sins that set in motion continuous original sins that set in motion continuous ethnic hatredethnic hatred

Notable feuds: Israel-Palestine, Armenia-Notable feuds: Israel-Palestine, Armenia-Azerbaijan, Armenia-Turks, Serbs-Croats, Azerbaijan, Armenia-Turks, Serbs-Croats, Hutu-Tutsis (Burundi, Rwanda, Congo), Kurds Hutu-Tutsis (Burundi, Rwanda, Congo), Kurds vs. everyone around them.vs. everyone around them.

Ethnicity and violent conflict contd?Ethnicity and violent conflict contd?

Cultural differences such as religion pour Cultural differences such as religion pour fuel on such fires.fuel on such fires.

Leader’s manipulation: Ethnic conflict does Leader’s manipulation: Ethnic conflict does not just happen, it has to be instigated.not just happen, it has to be instigated.Often used to exploit differences between

people that may not be that important.Intentional spread of fear and threat against

groups by national leaders: Hitler-Jews, Idi Amin-Indian merchants, Milosevic in Serbia vs. Croats and Muslims.

Other Important PointsOther Important Points::

Sometimes the differences between warring Sometimes the differences between warring groups are slight or by degree.groups are slight or by degree.

The dehumanization of people makes it The dehumanization of people makes it possible to forget similarities of culture.possible to forget similarities of culture.

Are Serbs and Croats really drastically different? Only by Religion and to a lesser extent language. How can outsiders identify a How can outsiders identify a Kurd or a Shiite from Sunni Iraqis?Kurd or a Shiite from Sunni Iraqis?

Case Study: Former YugoslaviaCase Study: Former Yugoslavia

Brief History of YugoslaviaBrief History of Yugoslavia

Area controlled by Austrians and Turks for Area controlled by Austrians and Turks for hundreds of years.hundreds of years.

Though most people are Slavic, different Though most people are Slavic, different languages and religions (Eastern Orthodox, languages and religions (Eastern Orthodox, Muslim, Catholics)Muslim, Catholics)

Ethnic conflict goes back many centuriesMost recent periods of ethnic conflict and

genocide: WWII when many Croats helped Nazis exterminate Jews, Serbs, and Bosnian Muslims. Then again after Cold War

Brief History of Yugoslavia, contdBrief History of Yugoslavia, contd

Yugoslavia independent Kingdom after Yugoslavia independent Kingdom after WWI.WWI.

Yugoslavia means “Land of the Southern Yugoslavia means “Land of the Southern Slavs” as opposed to northern Slavs of Slavs” as opposed to northern Slavs of Poles and Russians, but did not include Poles and Russians, but did not include Bulgaria which is also Slavic but earlier Bulgaria which is also Slavic but earlier won its independence.won its independence.

Brief History of Yugoslavia, contdBrief History of Yugoslavia, contd

Croat-Slovene communist Marshall Tito led resistance that Croat-Slovene communist Marshall Tito led resistance that liberated Yugoslavia from Nazi occupation during WWII.liberated Yugoslavia from Nazi occupation during WWII.

Later became ruler of the country and successfully prevented Later became ruler of the country and successfully prevented ethnic conflict.ethnic conflict.

Died in 1980 from cancer leaving a power vacuum. Certain leaders manipulated ethnicity to mobilize others for political support. This lead to the breakup of Yugoslavia when Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, later followed by Bosnia and Macedonia

The Serbian led Yugoslavian government first tried to stop Croatia from leaving the country but lost.

Then, Yugoslavia attempted to help Serbians in Croatia and later Bosnia establish their own governments, that would eventually be reunited with Serbia.

Serbs in Bosnia turned to ethnic cleansing as a way to eliminate the opposition ethnic groups. Defined as “Forced displacement of an ethnic group from a particular territory, accompanied by massacres and other human rights violations.” Goldstein

Ethnic Diversity of YugoslaviaEthnic Diversity of Yugoslavia

Republic of CroatiaRepublic of Croatia: (: (4.67 million)4.67 million) Religion: 77% Roman Catholic; 11% Serbian OrthodoxReligion: 77% Roman Catholic; 11% Serbian Orthodox Nationality: 78% Croat,12% SerbianNationality: 78% Croat,12% Serbian

Federal Republic of YugoslaviaFederal Republic of Yugoslavia (including (including Kosovo, and its refugees): (Kosovo, and its refugees): (11.21 million)11.21 million) Religion: 65% Serbian Orthodox, 19% Muslim, 4% Religion: 65% Serbian Orthodox, 19% Muslim, 4%

Roman Catholic, 1% Protestant, 11% otherRoman Catholic, 1% Protestant, 11% other Nationality: 63% Serbian, 14% Albanian, 6% Nationality: 63% Serbian, 14% Albanian, 6%

Montenegrin, 4% Hungarian, 13% otherMontenegrin, 4% Hungarian, 13% other

Ethnic Diversity of YugoslaviaEthnic Diversity of Yugoslavia

Republic of Bosnia and HerzegovinaRepublic of Bosnia and Herzegovina::(3.36 million) (3.36 million) Religion: 40% Muslim, 31% Serbian Religion: 40% Muslim, 31% Serbian

Orthodox, 15% Roman CatholicOrthodox, 15% Roman Catholic Nationality:40% Serbian, 38% Nationality:40% Serbian, 38%

Muslim,  22% CroatMuslim,  22% Croat

Big Problem: The nations overlap from Big Problem: The nations overlap from town to town.town to town.

• Ethnic Cleansing meant forcing other ethnic groups out of their homes and villages, and if they refused killing them. The goal was to homogenize the land for your ethnic group.

• The Bosnians and Croats, and later the Kosovars fought back and reciprocated with their own massacres.

An ethnically cleansed townAn ethnically cleansed town

Human Rights and InterventionHuman Rights and Intervention

Western European nations, along with the US, became enraged over the bloodshed and eventually intervened to stop the Serbs, and their compatriots in Bosnia, with the authority and force of the United Nations. Later NATO troops replace UN peace-keepers in Bosnia.

Though the people of the area were very similar in most respects, and actually much more intertwined nationally, leaders succeeded in convincing other people that other ethnic groups posed a risk.

In reality, many of the people were of multinational lineage, though this was ignored and treated as a fiction. The ethnic lines were never quite as clear as some have claimed. There are few “pure” Croats, Serbs, etc.

Later the Serbians again in 1999 attempted to cleanse the Kosovo area of Albanian Muslims, the Kosovars.

But NATO acted to stop Serb aggression.

War CrimesWar Crimes Serb leader Slobodan Serb leader Slobodan

Milosevic turned over to UN Milosevic turned over to UN for war crimes in 2001 for for war crimes in 2001 for “crimes against humanity “crimes against humanity and genocide”, and is still and genocide”, and is still under trial. He is defending under trial. He is defending himself without legal himself without legal representation and sees the representation and sees the Criminal Proceedings as Criminal Proceedings as illegitimate.illegitimate.

Radovan Karadzic of the Radovan Karadzic of the Bosnian Serb forces was Bosnian Serb forces was also indicted of such crimes also indicted of such crimes but has not been but has not been apprehended.apprehended.