"Harris Mylonas is one of the rare scholars who combines sophisticated knowledge of political science techniques with in-depth historical expertise. This book will be of great interest to political scientists, international relations scholars, and historians, and it will also be a valuable resource for policy makers. Most of the events it discusses happened a century or more ago, but the repercussions from those events are still very much in evidence in the Balkans today." - Mark Kramer, Harvard University "Through thorough analysis of archival records and integration of theory from both international relations and comparative politics, Harris Mylonas argues that external factors often override internal factors in the formation of nationality policy. In contrast to more common approaches, Mylonas concentrates on the processes underlying nationality policy formation. He persuasively shows how elite perceptions of international threats shape such decisions." - Roger D. Petersen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "This book makes an important, original argument about the international factors that exert substantial influence on a state's decision to assimilate, accommodate, or exclude its ethnic minorities. Based mainly on analytic comparisons of case histories of Balkan nation building, Mylonas shows that states are much more likely to exclude, expel, or exterminate such groups when they receive backing from foreign enemy states and when the host state is a dissatisfied power harboring a grievance over lost territory. Many readers will find Mylonas's insights to be of great interest." - Jack Snyder, Columbia University
