This is a thoughtful reflection on the chequered history of partitioned states in the twentieth century.
International Affairs
Provides valuable information not only about the countries directly concerned but also about the overall state of affairs during the secong half of the last century. The fluid discussion of literature and skilfulness of comparisons and contracts provides an ongoing ... Read moreincentive to the reader. The categorisation of different patterns of partition, their chronological appearance and placement in the international scene becomes a useful tool for the study of international relations.
Nations and Nationalism
Schaeffer's present work is clearly written, informative, and adequately argued. It will interest scholars across several disciplines who work in the areas of ethnic politics, social and political movements, and state formation.
Politics, Social Movements, and The State
A decade ago Schaeffer published a brilliant comparative study of the partition of states. Shortly thereafter, the crumbling of the socialist bloc yielded new instances of secession in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, and Ethiopia, against which to test the generalizations of the earlier investigation. Schaeffer's new analysis, Severed States, provides a sober corrective to the optimism of all those who expect to solve their ethnic conflicts by splitting up their countries. Alternatives are proposed in the final chapter that seem more promising than separatism. The book's lucidity and its up-to-date coverage makes it a treat for specialists and a superb text for courses on nationalism.
Metta Spencer, University of Toronto Show Less