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INTRODUCTION: Approaches to the Study of Irredentism

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Irredentism and International Politics
This chapter is in the book Irredentism and International Politics
INTRODUCTION Approaches to the Study of Irredentism NAOMI CHAZAN Ethnicity has reemerged as a major issue in international politics. In the last decade of the twentieth century, the breakdown of the Soviet bloc on the one hand and the attempt at West European consolidation and German reunification on the other have highlighted the tenuous connection between state boundaries and historical, cultural, and sym-bolic communities. One aspect of the international politics of ethnicity focuses on the demarcation of state frontiers; a second is concerned with the role of diaspora communities in global affairs; 1 a third centers on irredentism, a phenomenon highlighted by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Irredentism is an outgrowth of the complexities inherent in the notion of the nation-state. The state, a legal-territorial concept, refers to that set of structures and institutions that seek to maintain effective control over a given population within a specifically defined geo-graphical area. The nation relates to the psychocultural phenomenon of a group of people possessing a common symbolic referent and joint aspirations and who desire to give political expression to these identi-ties. 2 The term nation-state has come into use to denote those states in which national and political frontiers coincide. In most instances, the boundaries of existing states do not precisely coincide with those of groups who perceive themselves as culturally cohesive units and wish to demonstrate their solidarity politically. In these cases, the quest of ethnic groups for self-determination has given rise to separatist movements whose demands range from autonomy to full independence, as well as to irredentist claims by governments that seek to retrieve ethnic kin and their territories from neighboring states. 3 Irredentism, therefore, is distinct from, but closely related to, separatism.4 The term irredentism (derived from the Italian irredenta-unredeemed) was first used to refer to the Italian movement to annex Italian-speaking areas under Austrian and Swiss rule during the nine-teenth century. It has since come to encompass any political effort to unite ethnically, historically, or geographically related segments of a population in adjacent countries within a common political framework. The purpose of this book is to shed light on the key facets of
© 2022, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, USA

INTRODUCTION Approaches to the Study of Irredentism NAOMI CHAZAN Ethnicity has reemerged as a major issue in international politics. In the last decade of the twentieth century, the breakdown of the Soviet bloc on the one hand and the attempt at West European consolidation and German reunification on the other have highlighted the tenuous connection between state boundaries and historical, cultural, and sym-bolic communities. One aspect of the international politics of ethnicity focuses on the demarcation of state frontiers; a second is concerned with the role of diaspora communities in global affairs; 1 a third centers on irredentism, a phenomenon highlighted by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Irredentism is an outgrowth of the complexities inherent in the notion of the nation-state. The state, a legal-territorial concept, refers to that set of structures and institutions that seek to maintain effective control over a given population within a specifically defined geo-graphical area. The nation relates to the psychocultural phenomenon of a group of people possessing a common symbolic referent and joint aspirations and who desire to give political expression to these identi-ties. 2 The term nation-state has come into use to denote those states in which national and political frontiers coincide. In most instances, the boundaries of existing states do not precisely coincide with those of groups who perceive themselves as culturally cohesive units and wish to demonstrate their solidarity politically. In these cases, the quest of ethnic groups for self-determination has given rise to separatist movements whose demands range from autonomy to full independence, as well as to irredentist claims by governments that seek to retrieve ethnic kin and their territories from neighboring states. 3 Irredentism, therefore, is distinct from, but closely related to, separatism.4 The term irredentism (derived from the Italian irredenta-unredeemed) was first used to refer to the Italian movement to annex Italian-speaking areas under Austrian and Swiss rule during the nine-teenth century. It has since come to encompass any political effort to unite ethnically, historically, or geographically related segments of a population in adjacent countries within a common political framework. The purpose of this book is to shed light on the key facets of
© 2022, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, USA

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Maps vii
  4. Acknowledgments ix
  5. INTRODUCTION: Approaches to the Study of Irredentism 1
  6. CHAPTER 1 Irredentas and Secessions: Adjacent Phenomena, Neglected Connections 9
  7. CHAPTER 2 Irredentism: Nationalism Reexamined 23
  8. CHAPTER 3 Concealed or Conjured Irredentism: The Case of Alsace 37
  9. CHAPTER 4 Irredentism and Boundary Adjustments in Post-World War I Europe 51
  10. CHAPTER 5 Irredentism in Germany Since 1945 69
  11. CHAPTER 6 The Ups and Downs of Irredentism: The Case of Turkey 81
  12. CHAPTER 7 Irredentism and Politics in Africa 97
  13. CHAPTER 8 Language Planning as an Aid and a Barrier to Irredentism 111
  14. CONCLUSION: Irredentism, Separatism, and Nationalism 139
  15. The Contributors 153
  16. Index 155
  17. About the Book 161
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9781685855888-003

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Maps vii
  4. Acknowledgments ix
  5. INTRODUCTION: Approaches to the Study of Irredentism 1
  6. CHAPTER 1 Irredentas and Secessions: Adjacent Phenomena, Neglected Connections 9
  7. CHAPTER 2 Irredentism: Nationalism Reexamined 23
  8. CHAPTER 3 Concealed or Conjured Irredentism: The Case of Alsace 37
  9. CHAPTER 4 Irredentism and Boundary Adjustments in Post-World War I Europe 51
  10. CHAPTER 5 Irredentism in Germany Since 1945 69
  11. CHAPTER 6 The Ups and Downs of Irredentism: The Case of Turkey 81
  12. CHAPTER 7 Irredentism and Politics in Africa 97
  13. CHAPTER 8 Language Planning as an Aid and a Barrier to Irredentism 111
  14. CONCLUSION: Irredentism, Separatism, and Nationalism 139
  15. The Contributors 153
  16. Index 155
  17. About the Book 161
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