Ethnic and national conflicts have been an unexpected and major source of problems in many parts of the world, no where more so than in the formerly communist countries. This book provides a readable introduction to, and brief analytical coverage of, all the ethnic disputes of the 1990s. Full justice is done both to complex present day situations and the deeper roots of ethnic conflict. This is followed by a review and evaluation of the main available explanations. The book is useful for anyone who wants to understand why the fall of communism did not introduce an era of goodwill between the nations.