Conflict Zones: North Caucasus and Western Balkans Compared

In Conflict Zones, Janusz Bugajski enhances our understanding of the causes and consequences of the current conflicts in the North Caucasus and extrapolates likely scenarios in the region’s development. He compares and contrasts conditions in the North Caucasus with the former Yugoslav federation in the Western Balkans, a multi-ethnic state structure that could not contain internally generated political and ethnic disputes.

The book examines five major dimensions of the conflict:

• Relations between the central federal government and the constituent republics.
• The importance of ethnic identity in intercommunal relations.
• The significance and impact of religious allegiance and radicalism.
• The destabilizing regional potential of emerging states.
• The role of outside powers in dampening or exacerbating conflicts.

The study concludes with a number of recommendations for U.S. policymakers.

*Download the full text of the book by clicking on the PDF link below:

**Physical copies ship only inside the United States.