Nationalism in the Balkans: Greater Albania and the Kosovan-Serbian conflict

Writing about the Balkans is quite a broad topic which covers not only the political journey of the Balkan countries but also their history which differs from state to state and has magic on its own. Nationalism in Balkans is a phenomenon which continues still now days. It is a topic which is as old as fresh, a topic which affects us in every aspect of life, whether it is political or social. Especially the latest events occurring in Kosovo and Serbia make it clear that nationalism in this region continues to play an important role. Given the fact that some Balkan countries have quarrel and fierce debates between them for me as an Albanian writing and researching for nationalism is quite special. This work covers not only the background of nationalism in the Balkan countries and its historical approaches but also the Albanian question. Nationalism did not originate in the Balkans but the Balkans became a fertile ground for it to grow, sometimes under the protection and encouragement of foreign powers. This paper examines the importance of nationalism and influences of great powers in the Balkans. The re-emergence of the Great Albanian Case and the Kosovo- Serbian conflict are two of the important aspects of this study. Many studies and researches have been done before from both sides, even though the arguments are in most of the cases partial and subjective. This thesis, based on historical evidences, tries to give an impartial answer to the Albanian question and Kosovo-Serbian conflict. It tries to give arguments based on the events of today's politics, history and geopolitics. It also tries to inquire the possibility for reconciliation by taking into account both sides of the story. Nationalism as an ideology continues to play an important role in every aspect of human's life since it is often the main cause of fights, wars and many disorders as it has been seen throughout history. That's why this topic it's interesting as much as important. The future of countries is inter-connected somehow with the level of their adaptation of nationalism in day to day state affairs. A little or too much of ''nationalism'' has its own advantages and disadvantages, but for the Balkans it has proven to be disastrous.