Table of Contents

Illustrations ix Preface xi Chapter 1: The Forgotten Meaning of Territory 1 Chapter 2: Indivisible Territory and Ethnic War 17 Chapter 3: Territory and Violence: A Statistical Assessment 34 Chapter 4: Russia and Tatarstan 45 Chapter 5: Russia and Chechnya 64 Chapter 6: Georgia and Abkhazia 87 Chapter 7: Georgia and Ajaria 107 Chapter 8: Conclusion 127 Appendix Tables 149 Notes 167 References 203 Index 219

Promotional Information

Monica Toft makes an important and convincing argument about the power of demographic forces on the chances for ethnic violence. Her statistical findings on the paucity of ethnic violence when urban or dispersed groups are involved are striking. By showing the power of simple structural constraints in the path that leads to ethnic violence, she presents a formidable challenge to those scholars who see ethnicity as constructed, fluid, and infinitely malleable. Her statistical tests and case studies represent an imaginative use of data, and will generate much debate. -- Roger Petersen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, author of "Resistance and Rebellion" This very well organized and well-written book is unquestionably a significant contribution to the study of ethnopolitics and political conflict. It calls attention to the central importance of territoriality in our understanding of where and why separatist conflicts arise and, perhaps more importantly, it shows how contending conceptions of territory affect the dynamics and outcomes of such conflicts. -- Ted Robert Gurr, University of Maryland, author of "Peoples Versus States"

About the Author

Monica Duffy Toft is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Assistant Director of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies, Harvard University.

Reviews

Toft's book is well written and closely argued. Foreign Affairs An important contribution to the literature on the origins of violent ethnic conflict. The author's explanation is compact, straightforward, and elegant. -- Spencer D. Bakich Virginia Quarterly Review [T]he central argument is clear and the book is well written and interesting... I recommend the book to scholars in sociology, international relations, comparative politics, and history who are interested in social conflict and comparative race, ethnicity, and nation. -- Robert M. Kunovich American Journal of Sociology Toft proposes a useful theory and adduces convincing evidence on some of the key determinants of severe ethnic violence. -- Stuart J. Kaufman Perspectives on Politics Toft makes an important contribution to the literature. Choice