Creating New States :Theory and Practice of Secession

Secession is the creation of a new independent state out of an existing state. This key volume examines the political, social and legal processes of the practice of secession. Following an analysis of secessionist movements and their role in attempts at secession, eight case studies are explored to illustrate peaceful, violent, sequential and recursive secessions. This is followed by a look at the theoretical approaches and a discussion that focuses on the economic causes. Normative theories of secession are discussed as well as the status of secession in legal theory and practice.
The book systematizes our present knowledge of secessions in an accessible way to readers not familiar with the phenomenon and its consequences. It is ideal as a supplementary text to courses on contemporary political and social movements, applied ethics and political philosophy, international relations and international law, state sovereignty and state formation.


Contents
List of Maps vii
List of Boxes ix
Preface xi
Introduction 1
1 What is Secession? 5
PART I SECESSION IN PRACTICE
2 Secessions and Secessionist Movements 33
3 Peaceful Secessions: Norway, Slovakia and Quebec 65
4 Violent Secessions: Biafra, Bangladesh, Chechnya 95
5 Multiple Secessions and State Dissolution: The USSR and Yugoslavia 129
PART II SECESSION IN THEORY
Theoretical Approaches to Secession: An Introduction 171
6 Explanatory Theories 173
7 Normative Theories 199
8 Secession and the Law 221
9 Why New States? 241
Appendix 257
Bibliography 261
Index 271