Overview

Plebiscites, or referendums, are epitomes of direct democracy and the right of self-determination. While direct democracy has always been a key subject in the theory and practice of western liberal democracies, the issue of self-determination has been propelled to the fore by the hegemonistic moves of Russia. By providing a historical analysis of the post-World War One plebiscites, this book deals with enduring, painfully contemporary, and in in any case fundamental, concepts. The contributors to this edited volume approach the referendums comparatively. After grounding the analysis theoretically, the authors look at detailed aspects of individual cases, with the two plebiscites held in the Danish-German border region of Schleswig in the winter of 1920 as points of departure. They then extend the exploration through the inter-war period and address the effects of border delimitations on everyday life or gender roles in the context of ethnic mobilization. Finally, the book places the post-World War One plebiscites in a long-term perspective. The concluding essays assess, among others, the applicability of plebiscitary solutions to contemporary conflicts, taking into consideration issues of borders, religion, language, identity, and minority rights.

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9789633866108

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Reviews

"""A first-class, comparative and multi-disciplinary examination of the plebiscites that took place in Europe in the aftermath of the First World War. The first collection of its type in English in almost a century, it will be essential reading for anyone interested in how direct democracy has been used to address disputes over self-determination."" John McGarry, Queen's University, ""A highly valuable look at history with up-to-date knowledge that helps us to understand the contribution of post-World War I Wilsonian self-determination plebiscites to lasting conflict resolution and minority rights, with a view to assessing the potential of referendums to resolve current territorial disputes, particularly in Europe."" Laurence Morel, University of Lille, ""Combining insights from historians, political scientists, and legal experts, Post-World War One Plebiscites and Their Legacies addresses its subject matter from a geographically diverse and scholarly interdisciplinary perspective. In so doing, the volume offers not only specific accounts of the plebiscites in question, but also reflections on the practical dilemmas posed by the implementation of national self-determination as a principle, as well as a detailed study from below of how the concerned populations decided on their own collective identities. This book makes an unique contribution to the field of border studies, nationalism studies, modern European history, and political science."" Xos� M. N��ez Seixas, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela,"

Author Information

Sergiusz Bober is Senior Researcher at European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI).

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