Balkanization

For the linguistic usage of this term, see Balkan sprachbund.
Territorial history of the Balkans from 1796 to 2008.

Balkanization or Balkanisation is the process involving the fragmentation of an area, country, or region into multiple smaller and hostile units.[1][2] It is usually caused by differences in ethnicity, culture, religion, and geopolitical interests.

The term was first coined in the early 20th century, and found its roots in the depiction of events during the Balkan Wars (1912–1913) and World War I (1914–1918), specifically referring to incidents that transpired earlier in the Balkan Peninsula.[3]

The term is pejorative;[4] when sponsored or encouraged by a sovereign third party, it has been used as an accusation against such third-party nations. Controversially,[5] the term is often used by opponents of secessionism to highlight potential dangers. The Balkan peninsula is seen as an example of shatter belts in geopolitics.[6]

  1. ^ Ritzer, George, ed. (2007-02-15). The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (1 ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781405165518.wbeosb002. ISBN 978-1-4051-2433-1.
  2. ^ "The A to Z of international relations". The Economist. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  3. ^ Veliu, Liridona (2022), "Balkanization", in Richmond, Oliver P.; Visoka, Gëzim (eds.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 80–90, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-77954-2_34, ISBN 978-3-030-77954-2, retrieved 2023-11-23
  4. ^ Todorova 1994.
  5. ^ Simic 2013, p. 128.
  6. ^ Gosar 2000.