The Balkans unplugged (1991-2008) : Serbia, geopolitics, and the ideal of a Russian "New Byzantium"

Abstract

Is Serbia an 'irrational' actor in the geopolitics of the Balkans? Adopting a combination of Constructivist and Realist approach, the present thesis focuses on analysing Serbian geopolitics with respect to its relationship with Russia as "the New Byzantium". Modern Russia is seen as a great power that has inherited the political and spiritual role of the former Byzantine Empire and is thus perceived as a brotherly Slavic nation and deliverer. The argument is made that the geopolitical instability in the Balkans was a result of external pressures carried out by powerful states under the aegis of the "Liberal World Order". The Serbian reaction to this interference in siding with Russia has been identified by established international relations theories as 'irrational'. However, this thesis makes the case that such a categorisation is problematic because it trivialises Serbian agency in the historical and geopolitical context.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	English