The collapse of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union has resulted in a proliferation of discontented national minorities. Thus, the possibility for destabilizing ethnic conflict has become acute. National minorities have accordingly emerged as a major focus of international relations in post-Cold War Europe.

Jennifer Jackson Preece's powerful new study offers an innovative analysis of these developments. Scrutinizing them within the historical context of changing practices and evolving norms, she reveals that the European national minority question is nothing new - rather its foundations extend deep into contemporary history. Moreover, the problem is intrinsically derivative of the nation-states system itself, a system which potentially intensifies minority disaffection.

Examining these issues against the backdrop of relevant treaties, diplomatic negotiations, and international practices, Jackson Preece presents the definitive assessment of the fate of national minorities in the European states system.