After the Cold War, external democratization was used as a strategy to pacify inner-state conflicts. The West was especially euphoric regarding the pursuit of democratization in third countries, although there was little knowledge about the success and risks of such a strategy. The failures in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to increasing concerns about intervention and external democratization. As a consequence, democratization is seen as a mission impossible by some Western democracies. Thorsten Gromes, Bernhard Moltmann and Bruno Schoch confront this undifferentiated assumption with an analysis of three cases – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Northern Ireland.
The authors investigate the specific conditions for success of external democratization and conclude that under certain circumstances this strategy may prevent a relapse into civil war. The results of this study will find ample application given the continuing relevance of democratization as a means of peace-building in the international arena.
Die Überwindung der Gewalt. Demokratisierung von außen in Nachbürgerkriegsgesellschaften, 2015.
The book is available at Wochenschau Verlag.