Escalation and radicalization in Bosnia and Herzegovina : a micro-comparative study of genocide

Advisors: Michael Clark.Committee members: Scot Schraufnagel; Ches Thurber.Includes illustrations.Includes bibliographical references.Why does genocide occur in some locations and at some times but not in other locations or at other times? My project seeks to analyze the complex, dynamic, and extraordinary phenomenon of genocide by applying the micro-comparative method. I argue that genocide should not be studied as a two-stage process of policy and implementation, but rather as part of a multi-dimensional framework that is subject to various conditions. By framing the research this way, we can answer two important shortcomings in current studies of genocide: Why is genocide the outcome in some cases of political violence, but not in other cases? And, what explains leaders' decisions to escalate violence over time? I am proposing that genocide is not a singular act, but rather a radical and cumulative process dependent on events, interactions, ideologies, and actors. My study adopts a nuanced theory that accounts for the necessary structural and agency factors to better explain the process of genocide. I situate my micro-comparative study within the case of the Bosnian Civil War (1992-1995), by examining how and why genocide occurred across different municipalities.Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy