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South Asian Security: 21st Century Discourses (Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series)
by Sagarika Dutt Alok BansalThe South Asian security complex refers to security interdependencies between the states in the region, and also includes the effect that powerful external actors, such as China, the US and Russia, and geopolitical interests have on regional dynamics. This book focuses on the national securities of a number of South Asian countries in order to discuss a range of issues related to South Asian security. The book makes a distinction between traditional and non-traditional security. While state-centric approaches such as bilateral relations between India and Pakistan are considered to be traditional realist approaches to security, the promotion of economic, environmental and human security reflect global concerns, liberal theories and cosmopolitan values. The book goes beyond traditional security issues to reflect the changing security agenda in South Asia in the twenty-first century, and is a useful contribution to studies on South Asian Politics and Security Studies.
South Asian Sovereignty: The Conundrum of Worldly Power (Exploring the Political in South Asia)
by David Gilmartin Pamela Price Arild Engelsen RuudThis book brings ethnographies of everyday power and ritual into dialogue with intellectual studies of theology and political theory. It underscores the importance of academic collaboration between scholars of religion, anthropology, and history in uncovering the structures of thinking and action that make politics work. The volume weaves important discussions around sovereignty in modern South Asian history with debates elsewhere on the world map. South Asia’s colonial history – especially India’s twentieth-century emergence as the world’s largest democracy – has made the subcontinent a critical arena for thinking about how transformations and continuities in conceptions of sovereignty provide a vital frame for tracking shifts in political order. The chapters deal with themes such as sovereignty, kingship, democracy, governance, reason, people, nation, colonialism, rule of law, courts, autonomy, and authority, especially within the context of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers in politics, ideology, religion, sociology, history, and political culture, as well as the informed reader interested in South Asian studies.
South Asian Women and International Relations
by Pramod Jaiswal Abhiruchi OjhaThis book presents South Asian women’s voices which have been marginalised in the theory and practice of international relations in the region. It highlights critical issues of importance for women which are often neglected in traditional International Relations (IR). Embracing Feminist epistemology, the book re imagines the theory and practice of IR in South Asia, placing women’s experiences and their diverse voices at the centre. Refusing the temptation to typecast women, the book showcases the varied voices of South Asian women in international relations with contributions from an eclectic set of authors from different nationalities. In doing so, the book expands the ontological and epistemological limits of IR by including caste, conflict, protest perspectives. While some of these are uniquely South Asian, like caste, all of them show how the field of IR in general can become enriched by being more inclusive. This book will be of interest to researchers as it provides a fresh conceptual re-conceptualization of the field of IR from gender as well as global south perspective. The book will also help graduate students seeking to understand the intersection of gender and IR.
South Atlantic Requiem (William Catesby)
by Edward WilsonA brilliant, eye-opening espionage thriller by a former special forces officer 'now at the forefront of spy writing''The thinking person's John le Carré' Tribune 'Edward Wilson seems poised to inherit the mantle of John le Carré' Irish Independent'More George Smiley than James Bond, Catesby will delight those readers looking for less blood and more intelligence in their spy thrillers' Publishers WeeklyIt is 1982 and the British prime minister and the Argentine president are both clinging to power. Downing Street, having ignored alarm bells coming from the South Atlantic, finds itself in a full-blown crisis when Argentina invades the remote and forgotten British territory of the Falklands Islands. Catesby is dispatched urgently to prevent Argentina from obtaining more lethal Exocet missiles by fair means or foul. From Patagonia to Paris, from Chevening to the White House, Catesby plays a deadly game of diplomatic cat and mouse determined to avert the loss of life. The clock is ticking as diplomats and statesmen race for a last-minute settlement while the weapons of war are primed and aimed. Edward Wilson's stunning new spy thriller brilliantly evokes the intricate world of high-stakes espionage with a rare authenticity and deeply-felt sympathy for the human cost and tragedy of conflict.'Gets nearer to the truth of what happened in the Falklands War than any of the standard histories. Highly recommended' Clive Ponting'A classic of the genre . . . as good as espionage thriller writing gets' NB Magazine'A stunning and ingenious book' Crime ReviewPraise for Edward Wilson:'Stylistically sophisticated . . . Wilson knows how to hold the reader's attention' W.G. Sebald'A reader is really privileged to come across something like this' Alan Sillitoe'All too often, amid the glitzy gadgetry of the spy thriller, all the fast cars and sexual adventures, we lose sight of the essential seriousness of what is at stake. John le Carré reminds us, often, and so does Edward Wilson' Independent
South Bronx Rising: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of an American City
by Jill JonnesThirty-five years after this landmark of urban history first captured the rise, fall, and rebirth of a once-thriving New York City borough—ravaged in the 1970s and ’80s by disinvestment and fires, then heroically revived and rebuilt in the 1990s by community activists—Jill Jonnes returns to chronicle the ongoing revival of the South Bronx. Though now globally renowned as the birthplace of hip-hop, the South Bronx remains America’s poorest urban congressional district. In this new edition, we meet the present generation of activists who are transforming their communities with the arts and greening, notably the restoration of the Bronx River. For better or worse, real estate investors have noticed, setting off new gentrification struggles.
South California Purples (The Ty Dawson Mysteries)
by Baron Birtcher&“The novel combines the mystery and honesty of Craig Johnson&’s Longmire with the first-person narration of a fiercely independent Oregon character.&” —Sheila Deeth, author of John&’s Joy Winner of the 2018 Killer Nashville Readers&’ Choice Award2017 Foreword Indies Finalist for Historical A Korean War veteran, Ty Dawson finds refuge running his family&’s cattle ranch, the Diamond D, one of the largest in Oregon—and there&’s no place he&’d rather be. But in 1973, the country falls into turmoil with the last soldiers returning from Vietnam, the stand-off at Wounded Knee, and the ongoing Watergate scandal. And it isn&’t long before Ty finds his own peace and quiet shattered by outside forces. A string of mysterious cattle deaths leads to the murder of a cowhand, but that&’s just the beginning. News leaks that the Bureau of Land Management plans on a wild horse slaughter, which brings protestors and news cameras to the area, not to mention a violent biker gang known as the Charlatans. Overwhelmed, the sheriff appoints Ty as undersheriff. And as events spiral out of control, Ty must take matters into his own hands to protect his family, his land, and his way of life . . . &“A masterful work of a time gone by. Birtcher possesses a rare skill that is the envy of many a writer. He deftly employs literary prose to reveal the life of a hard-driven man. Ty Dawson is a cowboy, lawman, father and philosopher like none other.&” —Neal Griffin, Los Angeles Times–bestselling author of The Burden of Proof &“[A] fast-moving series launch . . . Birtcher takes readers on an exciting ride.&” —Publishers Weekly
South Dakota’s Cowboy Governor Tom Berry: Leadership During the Depression
by Paul S. HigbeeAs South Dakotans endured the Great Depression and developing Dust Bowl in 1932, they elected a cowboy as their governor. Tom Berry rode in the great, iconic 1902 cattle roundup ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt. He established the successful Double X ranch next to the Badlands. Big voiced and tireless, Berry commanded the attention of all, including President Franklin Roosevelt, who broke protocol and called him "Tom" or "Cowboy" in White House meetings. Berry faced bitter political rivalries and weather that threatened to blow South Dakotans off their land, but he is remembered for his humorous wit throughout. Author Paul S. Higbee traces the history of South Dakota and its iconic governor.
South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers (A Council on Foreign Relations Book)
by Scott A. SnyderAgainst the backdrop of China’s mounting influence and North Korea’s growing nuclear capability and expanding missile arsenal, South Korea faces a set of strategic choices that will shape its economic prospects and national security. In South Korea at the Crossroads, Scott A. Snyder examines the trajectory of fifty years of South Korean foreign policy and offers predictions—and a prescription—for the future. Pairing a historical perspective with a shrewd understanding of today’s political landscape, Snyder contends that South Korea’s best strategy remains investing in a robust alliance with the United States.Snyder begins with South Korea’s effort in the 1960s to offset the risk of abandonment by the United States during the Vietnam War and the subsequent crisis in the alliance during the 1970s. A series of shifts in South Korean foreign relations followed: the “Nordpolitik” engagement with the Soviet Union and China at the end of the Cold War; Kim Dae Jung’s “Sunshine Policy,” designed to bring North Korea into the international community; “trustpolitik,” which sought to foster diplomacy with North Korea and Japan; and changes in South Korea’s relationship with the United States. Despite its rise as a leader in international financial, development, and climate-change forums, South Korea will likely still require the commitment of the United States to guarantee its security. Although China is a tempting option, Snyder argues that only the United States is both credible and capable in this role. South Korea remains vulnerable relative to other regional powers in northeast Asia despite its rising profile as a middle power, and it must balance the contradiction of desirable autonomy and necessary alliance.
South Korea since 1980
by Uk Heo Terence Roehrig"This book examines the changes in politics, economics, society, and foreign policy in South Korea since 1980. Starting with a brief description of its history leading up to 1980, this book deals with South Korea's transition to democracy, the stunning economic development achieved since the 1960s, the 1997 financial crisis, and the economic reforms that followed and concludes with the North Korean nuclear crisis and foreign relations with regional powers. The theoretical framework of this book addresses how democratization affected all of these dimensions of South Korea. For instance, democratization allowed for the more frequent alternation of political elites from conservative to liberal and back to conservative. These elites initiated different policies for dealing with North Korea and held different views on South Korea's role in its alliance with the United States. Consequently, ideological divides in South Korean politics became more stark and the political process more combative"--Provided by publisher.
South Korea's Grand Strategy: Making Its Own Destiny (Contemporary Asia in the World)
by Ramon Pacheco PardoSince the end of the Cold War, South Korea has taken on a greater role in global affairs. Ramon Pacheco Pardo provides a groundbreaking analysis of South Korea’s foreign policy from its transition to democracy in the late 1980s through the present day, arguing that the country’s approach to the world constitutes a grand strategy.This book examines the key factors and goals that shape South Korea’s long-term strategy, with analysis that brings together its diplomatic, military, economic, and soft-power components. Pacheco Pardo shows that South Korea’s fundamental aim has been to move beyond its past as a “shrimp among whales” and instead attain autonomy and freedom of action. He explores how South Korean leaders across parties and governments have pursued security, prosperity, and status. Pacheco Pardo tracks South Korea’s core relationships with North Korea, the United States, and China, and he details the country’s objectives and policies across East Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and the rest of the world.Drawing on in-depth interviews with past and present policy makers, this book presents an analytical account of how South Korean strategy is made and practiced. It expertly lays out South Korea’s grand strategy and, more broadly, makes a compelling case that middle powers like South Korea can implement grand strategies.
South Korea's Rise
by Uk Heo Terence RoehrigSouth Korea's phenomenal rise has been studied extensively by political scientists and economists both in terms of its impact on democratisation and as a role model for economic development. Yet little attention has been devoted to exploring the nexus between economic development and foreign policy. In South Korea's Rise, Uk Heo and Terence Roehrig propose a new theoretical framework to illustrate how an increase in a country's economic prosperity can bring about change to its foreign policy, prompting greater involvement in the international system, the transition to democracy, an expanded set of interests and increased tools to pursue its foreign policy goals. As a rising middle power, analysis of South Korea's foreign policy is crucial to our understanding of the power structure and future relations in East Asia. This is essential reading for all students and scholars with an interest in Asia, foreign policy and global economics.
South Korean Democracy: Legacy of the Gwangju Uprising
by Georgy Katsiaficas Na Kahn-ChaeThis new book offers a retrospective appraisal of the Gwangju Uprising by academics, activists and artists from Gwangju, Korea. In 1980, South Koreans took to the streets to demand democracy. When the military threatened brutal suppression of the popular movement, only in Gwangju did people refuse to submit. After horrific bloodshed, the citizens of Gwangju drove the military out of the city and held their liberated space for a week. As a "beautiful community" emerged, newspapers were published, hundreds of thousands of people congregated in popular assemblies, and the city’s life gave new meaning to democracy. Although crushed by overwhelming military force, Gwangju’s example inspired the eventual overthrow of the military dictatorship and ushered in a new democratic wave in East Asia. Providing a detailed analysis of the events of the Gwangju uprising, this new volume traces the birth of South Korean democracy in Gwangju’s stubborn refusal to accept life without freedom. The book also focuses on the socio-economic background, the role of women in the uprising, issues of collective identity and the international significance of the revolt. Scholars and researchers of South Asian politics, social movements, history, democracy and development studies will find this volume to be of keen interest.
South Korean Engagement Policies and North Korea: Identities, Norms and the Sunshine Policy (Politics in Asia)
by Key-young SonA fresh historical and theoretical exploration of the much-debated, but still elusive, question of the Korean divide. In contrast to much of the literature on the divide, which deals with state-building on the two sides of the Demilitarized Zone, this book sheds light on the slow, but steady process of homogenization between the two estranged peoples, as accelerated after the end of the Cold War and especially after the inauguration of President Kim Dae-jung in 1998. Providing immense empirical detail as well as theoretical debate on the ideas in policy shaping in South Korea, the book presents a rich ‘history of enemies’ and covers issues including: an overview of the structural shift and the rise and fall of identity groups in South Korea history of 'enemy-making' and 'peace-building' North Korea's external relations with the US, Japan and Europe Hyundai's groundbreaking, cross-border tourism and other economic cooperation projects the lingering nuclear weapons crises. By focusing on the question of identities, the book presents a new approach on one of the most important legacies of the Cold War and threat to peace in the contemporary world: the divided Korean peninsula. As such it fills a major gap in the literature, utilizing new theoretical and empirical frameworks to deal with the Korean division and its future implications in East Asia.
South Korean Identity and Global Foreign Policy: Dream of Autonomy (Role Theory and International Relations)
by Patrick FlammIn the 20th century, South Korea was usually seen as a "shrimp amongst whales", a minor player with limited agency in regional and global affairs. Korea’s risen status as a "middle power" today, however, begs the question about related changes in the South Korean identity or "sense of self" in the world. In this book, Patrick Flamm presents the first comprehensive and agency oriented empirical account of South Korean international state identity and Seoul’s global foreign policy in the 21st century. Advancing a performative and narrative understanding of identity in International Relations, Flamm uses South Korea’s global engagement in peacekeeping and climate diplomacy to offer much-needed insight into the various identity narratives and role conceptions at play. In the case of peacekeeping and climate diplomacy, South Korea’s identity as an international actor has been dominated by practices of self-identification that position the country at the brink of advanced countries, aspiring to lead the rest of the world but with the overall objective to maintain national autonomy in a changing regional and global context. South Korean Identity and Global Foreign Policy is a must-read for scholars of International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis and Asian/Korean Studies.
South Korean Social Movements: From Democracy to Civil Society (Routledge Advances in Korean Studies)
by Gi-Wook Shin Paul Y. ChangThis book explores the evolution of social movements in South Korea by focusing on how they have become institutionalized and diffused in the democratic period. The contributors explore the transformation of Korean social movements from the democracy campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s to the rise of civil society struggles after 1987. South Korea was ruled by successive authoritarian regimes from 1948 to 1987 when the government decided to re-establish direct presidential elections. The book contends that the transition to a democratic government was motivated, in part, by the pressure from social movement groups that fought the state to bring about such democracy. After the transition, however, the movement groups found themselves in a qualitatively different political context which in turn galvanized the evolution of the social movement sector. Including an impressive array of case studies ranging from the women's movement, to environmental NGOs, and from cultural production to law, the contributors to this book enrich our understanding of the democratization process in Korea, and show that the social movement sector remains an important player in Korean politics today. This book will appeal to students and scholars of Korean studies, Asian politics, political history and social movements.
South Koreans and the Politics of Immigration in Contemporary Australia (Routledge Research on Korea)
by David HundtThe book explores the politics of immigration in Australia through an in-depth study of the ‘new generation’ of young Korean migrants in Melbourne. States with high rates of immigration such as Australia can largely determine who enter their societies, but some migrants, such as younger Koreans, can determine how and where they live due to desirable attributes such as their skills, education, and adaptability. The book uses Albert Hirschman’s ‘exit, voice, and loyalty’ schema to explore the choices available to such new and would-be citizens, especially when faced with economic, social, and/or political decline in their host society. Through in-depth interviews, the book explores if young Koreans were most attracted to the options of staying in Australia (loyalty), changing it from within (voice), or leaving (exit). The most common experience among younger Koreans, the book finds, is loyalty: most respondents express satisfaction with their lives in Australia and want to make it their home. These findings reveal how a particular group of migrants negotiates their citizenship with a would-be host society. By extension, the book illustrates the range and degree of strategies available to other migrants and would-be migrants, and how they might secure their livelihoods and well-being at a time of greater restrictions on international migration. This book will be of interest to scholars of multiculturalism and immigration history in Australia, citizenship and migration, and Korean studies.
South Koreans in the Debt Crisis: The Creation of a Neoliberal Welfare Society
by Jesook SongSouth Koreans in the Debt Crisis is a detailed examination of the logic underlying the neoliberal welfare state that South Korea created in response to the devastating Asian Debt Crisis (1997-2001). Jesook Song argues that while the government proclaimed that it would guarantee all South Koreans a minimum standard of living, it prioritized assisting those citizens perceived as embodying the neoliberal ideals of employability, flexibility, and self-sufficiency. Song demonstrates that the government was not alone in drawing distinctions between the "deserving" and the "undeserving" poor. Progressive intellectuals, activists, and organizations also participated in the neoliberal reform project. Song traces the circulation of neoliberal concepts throughout South Korean society, among government officials, the media, intellectuals, NGO members, and educated underemployed people working in public works programs. She analyzes the embrace of partnerships between NGOs and the government, the frequent invocation of a pervasive decline in family values, the resurrection of conservative gender norms and practices, and the promotion of entrepreneurship as the key to survival. Drawing on her experience during the crisis as an employee in a public works program in Seoul, Song provides an ethnographic assessment of the efforts of the state and civilians to regulate social insecurity, instability, and inequality through assistance programs. She focuses specifically on efforts to help two populations deemed worthy of state subsidies: the "IMF homeless," people temporarily homeless but considered employable, and the "new intellectuals," young adults who had become professionally redundant during the crisis but had the high-tech skills necessary to lead a transformed post-crisis South Korea.
South Korea’s 70-Year Endeavor for Foreign Policy, National Defense, and Unification
by Sung-Wook Nam Sang-Woo Rhee Myongsob Kim Young-Ho Kim Yong-Sub Han Young-Soon Chung Seong-Ok Yoo Academy Of AksThis book brings Korea's finest foreign policy minds together in contemplating the risks and rewards of finally ending the 70 year stalemate between North and South Korea through reunification. While North Korea is in conflict with the United States over denuclearization and regime security, the South Korean government is focusing on economic development preparing for the day when the two Koreas are unified. This book will help scholars, activists and policy-makers from all over the world systematically understand the current diplomatic and security issues in the Korean peninsula.
South Korea’s Democracy in Crisis: The Threats of Illiberalism, Populism, and Polarization
by Gi-Wook Shin and Ho-Ki KimLike in many other states worldwide, democracy is in trouble in South Korea, entering a state of regressionin the past decade, barely thirty years after its emergence in 1987. The society that had ordinary citizensleading "candlelight protests" demanding the impeachment of Park Geun-Hye in 2016–17 has becomepolarized amid an upsurge of populism, driven by persistent structural inequalities, globalization, and therise of the information society. The symptoms of democratic decline have been increasingly hard to miss: the demonization of politicalopponents, erosion of democratic norms, and the whittling away of the courts' independence. Perhapsmost disturbing is that this all took place under a government dominated by former pro-democracyactivists. Will the election victory of opposition leader Yoon Suk-Yeol end this democratic erosion, or willthe rift between South Korea's progressives and conservatives only deepen with the next administration? The contributors to this volume trace the sources of illiberalism in today's Korea; examine how politicalpolarization is plaguing its party system; discuss how civil society and the courts have become politicized;look at the roles of inequality, education, and social media in the country's democratic decline; andconsider how illiberalism has affected Korea's foreign policy.
South Korea’s Engagement with Africa: A History of the Relationship in Multiple Aspects (Africa's Global Engagement: Perspectives from Emerging Countries)
by Yongkyu ChangThis book represents the first scholarly attempt to summarize and analyze how Korea’s relationship with Africa has been shaped in policy and non-policy aspects. It shows how far it has come and where it goes. The book recognizes that Korea-Africa relations, though relatively new, break ground by acknowledging the importance of a diligent endeavor to carry out post-colonial development, and have continued to grow as we find promising progress and opportunities in the mutual cooperation between the two. This book is all-inclusive, covering Korea’s academic, economic, diplomatic, and civil engagements with Africa. It investigates untold aspects of Korea-Africa relations.
South Korea’s Foreign Aid: The Domestic Politics of Middle Power Diplomacy (Routledge Advances in Korean Studies)
by Hyo-sook KimKim examines the impact of domestic politics in accomplishing South Korea’s middle power diplomacy through the provision of foreign aid. Since the 2000s, the rise of emerging nations as donors has brought about a remarkable transition in the international development community. South Korea has closed the gap with other Development Assistance Committee donors in terms of the quality of its aid. In doing so it has taken on a more active role as a middle power, acting as an agenda-setter and a mediator in the field of development and many other wide policy areas including trade, finance, environment, security, and peacekeeping. What factors, then, have encouraged South Korea to maintain and enhance the existing international development system? Not only how they behave, but also how their behaviour is determined is essential to truly understand the impact of emerging donors on the existing order. Kim highlights the significance of domestic politics in determining South Korea’s foreign aid behaviour, framing it in terms of South Korea’s wider middle power diplomatic strategy. This book will be of great value to scholars of South Korean politics and foreign policy, as well as to international relations scholars with an interest in the foreign aid policy of middle powers.
South Korea’s Middle Power Diplomacy in the Middle East: Development, Political and Diplomatic Trajectories
by Hae Won JeongThis book examines theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of middle powers with reference to South Korea’s bilateral relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq. It maps the development, political and diplomatic trajectories between South Korea and Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq against the historical backdrop of ROK-US alliance and the rise of China. Jeong provides a nuanced analysis of the intersectionality of political economy and foreign policy analysis contextualizing state-building processes in ROK and the Middle Eastern countries. This accessible book is intended for students and scholars in area studies and international affairs, career diplomats, and South Korean businesses in the Middle East. It should also prove of practical value for journalists and policy makers who are interested in studying the nexus of domestic, regional and international factors that have configured South Korea’s Middle East policy.
South Korea’s Wild Ride: The Big Shifts in Foreign Policy from 2013 to 2022
by Gilbert Rozman Sue Mi Terry Eun A JoRozman, Terry, and Jo analyze the geopolitical shifts in South Korea’s policies toward its neighbors and allies over the course of the Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in administrations into the early years of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. 2013 to 2022 was a tumultuous decade in South Korean politics and especially in its foreign policy. Through two changes of its own presidency, as well as the rise and fall of the Trump administration in the United States, South Korea’s politicians and diplomats have pursued different attempts at bridge-building with North Korea, before arriving at a more cautious and defensive position. The authors track the different attempts by Park and Moon to pursue increasingly optimistic attempts at reconciliation, and how they were thwarted by excessive idealism, domestic divisions, and broader great power rivalries—notably including Russia, China, and Japan. An essential guide to understanding the trajectory of South Korean foreign policy, for students of Korean politics as well as scholars and policy practitioners.
South Sudan: Post-Independence Dilemmas (African Governance)
by Amir IdrisSouth Sudan: Post-Independence Dilemmas is an interdisciplinary collection of essays which engages with the failure of the newest African State to transition itself successfully to a state and nation after its independence in July 2011. The contributors explore the prospects for new modes of politics capable of simultaneously healing and reconciling the divided communities while moving the country beyond divisive ethnic identities. As they focus on the political, historical, legal, or cultural challenges presented in the process of state formation, the chapters situate South Sudan’s dilemma in its history of political elitism and gender violence, and the role of international actors in order to examine the effects of these factors and the national mechanisms which have attempted to address them. By foregrounding the relationship between the crises of the state and the politics of ethnicity in South Sudan, the book explores new potentialities in finding an alternative pathway redirect and unleash the creative energies and capacities of the peoples in South Sudan for meaningful social and economic development. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of African Politics and State Building.
South Tyrol: A Minority Conflict of the Twentieth Century
by Johan NiezingSouth Tyrol, a region in the heart of the Alps about half the size of Connecticut, brings into sharp focus an important part of twentieth-century history. Tyrol, a province that had been part of Austria for over 500 years and was almost totally German-speaking, was split in two after World War I and the southern part awarded to Italy as ""spoils of war.""The first phase to follow after the split of Tyrol was systematic subjection by the Italian Fascists of what had been a regional majority in South Tyrol, but was now a minority within Italy. In a second phase, to gain an Italian majority, the country was settled with Italians from the south, who had a totally different mentality from the Italians residing in South Tyrol. With the emergence of National Socialism in Germany, and eventually with the Hitler-Mussolini Agreement of 1939, a third phase emerged: an experiment in ""ethnic cleansing"" called the ""Option."" Eighty-six percent of all South Tyroleans agreed to leave South Tyrol and become citizens of ""Greater Germany."" After World War II, the region was not returned to Austria: South Tyrol became the first victim of the Cold War. It took almost forty years of hard bargaining before South Tyrol was granted real autonomy in 1969. This resolution is now regarded as a model for solving minority conflicts.Rolf Steininger traces the history of this troubled region during several periods: 1918-1922, in which he covers the period from the division of Tyrol to the march on Bozen; 1922-1938, in which he reviews fascist policy towards South Tyrol; the ""Option"" of 1939; the resettlement and so-called reunification from 1943-1945; South Tyrol's role as a bargaining chip in the Cold War, and the Gruber-Gasperi Agreement of 1946; and the volume closes with a discussion of the plan negotiated in 1969 for a new autonomy for South Tyrol that came to be known as the ""Package."".