The Dark side of Democracy Explaining Ethnic Cleansing

A new theory of ethnic cleansing based on the most terrible cases (colonial genocides, Armenia, the Nazi Holocaust, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Rwanda) and cases of lesser violence (early modern Europe, contemporary India, and Indonesia). Murderous cleansing is modern, 'the dark side of democracy'. It results where the demos (democracy) is confused with the ethnos (the ethnic group). Danger arises where two rival ethno-national movements each claims 'its own' state over the same territory. Conflict escalates where either the weaker side fights because of aid from outside, or the stronger side believes it can deploy sudden, overwhelming force. Escalation is not simply the work of 'evil elites' or 'primitive peoples.' It results from complex interactions between leaders, militants, and 'core constituencies' of ethno-nationalism. Understanding this complex process helps us devise policies to avoid ethnic cleansing in the future.


. Provocative view of ethnic cleansing as essentially modern


. Vivid blow-by-blow accounts of how ethnic conflict can escalate into mass murder


. Most comprehensive treatment of ethnic cleansing, past and present
Contents

1. The argument; 2. Ethnic cleansing in former times; 3. Two versions of 'we, the people'; 4. Genocidal democracies in the New World; 5. Armenia, I: into the danger zone; 6. Armenia, II: genocide; 7. Nazis, I: radicalization; 8. Nazis, II: fifteen hundred perpetrators; 9. Nazis, III: genocidal careers; 10. Germany's allies and auxiliaries; 11. Communist cleansing: Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot; 12. Yugoslavia, I: into the danger zone; 13. Yugoslavia, II: murderous cleansing; 14. Rwanda, I: into the danger zone; 15. Rwanda, II: genocide; 16. Counterfactual cases: India and Indonesia; 17. Combating ethnic cleansing in the world today.
Review

'The Dark Side of Democracy . is a formidable and in some ways successful attempt to produce a sociological grand theory to explain these terrible events. . Mann's work represents contemporary historical sociology at its best - well informed, relevant, well evidenced and interesting - and all readers must have great respect for his conclusions .'.Times Higher Education Supplement