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University of Cambridge

Sweden and the Yugoslav Wars, 1991-2001

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

My research project examines the impact of the Yugoslav Wars on Sweden and how the country responded to the conflicts. The project is divided into three broad subcategories(diplomacy, military, and migration) over six chapters. The dissertation argues that Sweden’s post-Cold War foreign policy, military policy, and refugee migration practices can be traced to the country’s response to the Yugoslav Wars and that Sweden’s overt alignment withWestern political and military structures was defined by its engagement in the Balkans. The first chapter focuses on the decision-making process behind Sweden’s recognition of the various new republics that emerged out of the former Yugoslavia and seeks to compare the acts with one another. The second chapter looks at the role of Swedish mediators indifferent conflicts that took place in the Balkans. Sweden has had a long history of being able to punch above its weight diplomatically as a result of its reputation as a neutral state. The chapter highlights three case studies in which individual Swedes and the Swedish state, indifferent capacities, managed to play significant roles. The third chapter is on Sweden’s military deployments during the 1990s throughout the former Yugoslavia. It covers the various types of missions Swedish troops were involved in, ranging from traditional peacekeeping to preventative deployments to monitoring. The fourth chapter is aboutSwedish volunteers that travelled to the former Yugoslavia in order to participate in the fighting, examining their conduct, motivations, and ramifications. The fifth chapter deals with Balkan refugee migration to Sweden. My research explains why so many choseSweden, tracing back to the role of the diaspora as well as more contemporary factors, like visa policies. The sixth and final chapter looks at the Swedish response to the large migration wave.

Degree

thesis:*
Name dc:type.qualificationname
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
Doctoral
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
University of Cambridge
Year dc:date.issued
2024

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Habtom Desta, Naman Karl-Thomas
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Foster, William

Subjects

dc:subject × 7

Rights

dc:rights
Language dc:language
eng

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
DOI dc:identifier.doi
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.116902
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/381864

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Cambridge University
Base URL
api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Habtom Desta, Naman Karl-Thomas. Sweden and the Yugoslav Wars, 1991-2001. Doctoral thesis, University of Cambridge, 2024. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.116902