Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

When Good Faith Breaks: How Internal And Regional Factors Decide The Success Of Irredentist Conflict, Kayla L. Gruber

Politics, Philosophy, and Legal Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Recent eruptions of ethnic-sponsored conflict throughout the international community have reintroduced the once-discredited concept of irredentism in foreign affairs, and underlined the importance of evaluating the evolution of ethnic conflict in the 21st century. As ethnic movements continually devolve into civil wars, violent stalemates, and icy regional tensions, scholars and world leaders alike must ask: is irredentism a beneficial and effective policy option? Why do some nations with prominent diasporas refrain from engaging in irredentism? What are the factors that enable or inhibit the successful execution of irredentist aims?

This research analyzes two case studies—Russia-Crimea and Greece-Macedonia—in an effort to …