Making and Unmaking Nations

War, Leadership, and Genocide in Modern Africa

Nonfiction, History, Africa, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book Making and Unmaking Nations by Scott Straus, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Scott Straus ISBN: 9780801455674
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: March 15, 2015
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: Scott Straus
ISBN: 9780801455674
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: March 15, 2015
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

In Making and Unmaking Nations, Scott Straus seeks to explain why and how genocide takes place—and, perhaps more important, how it has been avoided in places where it may have seemed likely or even inevitable. To solve that puzzle, he examines postcolonial Africa, analyzing countries in which genocide occurred and where it could have but did not. Why have there not been other Rwandas? Straus finds that deep-rooted ideologies—how leaders make their nations—shape strategies of violence and are central to what leads to or away from genocide. Other critical factors include the dynamics of war, the role of restraint, and the interaction between national and local actors in the staging of campaigns of large-scale violence.

Grounded in Straus’s extensive fieldwork in contemporary Africa, the study of major twentieth-century cases of genocide, and the literature on genocide and political violence, Making and Unmaking Nations centers on cogent analyses of three nongenocide cases (Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal) and two in which genocide took place (Rwanda and Sudan). Straus’s empirical analysis is based in part on an original database of presidential speeches from 1960 to 2005. The book also includes a broad-gauge analysis of all major cases of large-scale violence in Africa since decolonization. Straus’s insights into the causes of genocide will inform the study of political violence as well as giving policymakers and nongovernmental organizations valuable tools for the future.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In Making and Unmaking Nations, Scott Straus seeks to explain why and how genocide takes place—and, perhaps more important, how it has been avoided in places where it may have seemed likely or even inevitable. To solve that puzzle, he examines postcolonial Africa, analyzing countries in which genocide occurred and where it could have but did not. Why have there not been other Rwandas? Straus finds that deep-rooted ideologies—how leaders make their nations—shape strategies of violence and are central to what leads to or away from genocide. Other critical factors include the dynamics of war, the role of restraint, and the interaction between national and local actors in the staging of campaigns of large-scale violence.

Grounded in Straus’s extensive fieldwork in contemporary Africa, the study of major twentieth-century cases of genocide, and the literature on genocide and political violence, Making and Unmaking Nations centers on cogent analyses of three nongenocide cases (Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal) and two in which genocide took place (Rwanda and Sudan). Straus’s empirical analysis is based in part on an original database of presidential speeches from 1960 to 2005. The book also includes a broad-gauge analysis of all major cases of large-scale violence in Africa since decolonization. Straus’s insights into the causes of genocide will inform the study of political violence as well as giving policymakers and nongovernmental organizations valuable tools for the future.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book New York Amish by Scott Straus
Cover of the book A Colonial Affair by Scott Straus
Cover of the book Idols in the East by Scott Straus
Cover of the book Writing History for the King by Scott Straus
Cover of the book The Odd Man Karakozov by Scott Straus
Cover of the book Hoping to Help by Scott Straus
Cover of the book MacArthur in Asia by Scott Straus
Cover of the book Cars for Comrades by Scott Straus
Cover of the book The River Runs Black by Scott Straus
Cover of the book Creating Kosovo by Scott Straus
Cover of the book A Natural History of Revolution by Scott Straus
Cover of the book The Taming of Evolution by Scott Straus
Cover of the book The Power Problem by Scott Straus
Cover of the book The Burdens of Perfection by Scott Straus
Cover of the book Brokering Empire by Scott Straus
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy