Information on the thesis

This dissertation addresses the author’s approach to the complex research of irredentism, taking into account its determination by the nature of the strategic goals of the subjects of irredentism and the type of international political system. Having discovered the present state of the researches on the problem of irredentism, the author acknowledges the absence of generalizing works on the subject. The specificity of irredentism in the context of unifying motions and centrifugal processes is investigated. It is especially advantageous to distinguish between irredentism as a kind of separatism initiated by irredenta on the one hand, and “irredentism policy” on the other. The latter can be viewed as a policy of the irredentist state in the purposeful implementation of the plan to regain control on the former imperial territories and unification within one state of the groups,  that are considered to be kin groups by ethno-cultural or other characteristics.

The essence of irredentism is revealed and the strategic interests of each participant of the irredentist triad are characterized: the national minority (irredenta), the polyethnic state and the kin-state. It is proved that both territorial and ethnic factors play an important role in the emergence of irredentism. The role of cultural and ideological factors in substantiating the irredentism policy, namely language, traditions, and religion is revealed. The author argues that the irredentist project is the embodiment of the ideas of ethnic nationalism and is based on the idea of a Great Power, which is to restore the state within the borders that it had during its prosperity. Nationalist political parties project the great-power idea into the public consciousness. The means of its distribution is the policy of memory. The author suggests specific criteria for the classification of irredentism. It is proved that the interdisciplinary approach is the most effective. Irredentism is studied through the prism of conflicting paradigm, rational and normative-value approaches.

The role of irredentism in the internal political processes of a polyethnic state is studied. Irredentism is a reaction of national minorities to the political regime in the country of residence; it develops as a result of the dominance of ethnic or regional identity as opposed to national identity. Irredentism, assuming the orientation of the ethnic group to the kin-state, is an extreme manifestation of ethno-regionalism. The most effective in preventing the destructive influence of irredentism on domestic political processes in a polyethnic state is a system of preventive steps. They centre on securing national minorities rights in the political and socio-economic spheres and on pursuing an identity policy that will contribute to the development of national identity.

The irredentism policy in the international legal dimension is analysed and functional models of the irredentism policy in the context of the development of systems of international relations are formulated. These systems are following: the Vienna system as unifying irredentism; the Versailles-Washington system as expansionist; the Yalta-Potsdam system as latent; post-bipolar system as moderate and expansionist. The legal aspects of irredentism policy are not regulated due to the inconsistency in the international law of the principle of the territorial integrity of the state and the right of nations to self-determination. Moral assessments of irredentism are situational in nature. The prolonged interstate conflicts are the result of irredentism, they are difficult to regulate and therefore often turn into the category of frozen conflicts.

The influence of the irredentist factor on the political processes in Ukraine in the modern period is characterized. The nature of relations between the Hungarian, Romanian and Russian minorities with their kin-states is analysed. It is proved that the irredentist factor played an important role in the intensification of Ukrainian-Russian interstate relations at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. It is argued that the regulation of ethnopolitical processes in Ukraine will be more effective if the ethnopolitics is reformed, alongside with the intensification of regional policy, the decentralization of power and the reactivation of economic reforms.

Keywords: irredentism, irredentism policy, separatism, national minority, polyethnic state, irredentist state, political party, ethno-regionalism, identity, identity policy, system of international relations, political conflict, ethnopolitics, regional politics.