Philanthropy, Conflict Management and International Law

"Short wars can cast long shadows. That the Balkan wars did so is amply proved in this impressive collection of essays by distinguished scholars from a large variety of countries. They show not only that the internal dynamics of that troubled peninsula are still conditioned by the events of 1912–13, but also that these events affected the operation of international agencies dealing with the area and its problems. The book will be of great value to anyone concerned with or interested in the Balkans."

"While the 1913 Carnegie Report features prominently in histories of modern warfare, ethnic cleansing, and human rights, this volume breaks new ground by foregrounding its importance in the evolution of international law. The book offers incredible breadth and depth: from the complex legal and philanthropic contexts of the report's making to the fascinating biographies of the men who wrote it to its uneven and politicized reception in the Balkans and beyond, we learn a plethora of captivating information about its origins and impact in a truly global perspective. A must read for scholars and students of international law and organizations, human rights, and Balkan, European, and global history."—Theodora Dragostinova

"There has been a drift of late to fathom the Balkans as a precursor of, and its history as anticipating, larger political trends in the rest of Europe and the world. This volume takes that trail in an unsuspected direction. As the articles gathered here suggest, the historian studying modern international law on national self-determination, nation-state formation, and minority rights must start first with the 1912–13 Balkan Wars and the 1914 Carnegie Report and only then seek reverberations in later twentieth-century institutional innovations on the European and global scale. The contributions to the volume, carried out with dexterity and insight, advance a coherent set of interpretations that throw into relief unexplored and hidden aspects of the making of international law and international organizations."—Diana Mishkova