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Dissertation Defense- O. Koray Ertas
Identity Conflict in Bulgaria: The Dynamics of Non-Violence
Monday November 7th, 2016
1:30pm to 3:00pm
Metropolitan Building, Room 5145
School for Conflict Analysis & Resolution
Arlington Campus
Committee Members:
Prof. Karina Korostelina, (Chair)
Prof. Sandra Cheldelin
Prof. Rex Wade
ABSTRACT
After the end of the Cold War, unlike the aggressive manifest conflict processes in former Yugoslavia, identity based conflict in neighboring Bulgaria remained latent and did not escalate into manifest forms. Despite the policies of assimilation as well as deportation campaigns against minority Turks, the Bulgarian identity conflict ended without direct violence. While neighboring Yugoslavia was torn apart by conflicts, Bulgaria remained peaceful, despite certain similarities. This relative success led many to argue the existence of a “Bulgarian ethnic model.” Despite the human suffering marked by forceful deportations and assimilation campaigns, no major war, no genocidal explosions, and no mass killings occurred. This research seeks the answers to the questions of “why did this conflict not escalate into direct violence?” and “what were the factors that deterred an aggressive manifest conflict?”