Enemies Within

Reviews / Votes

Mylonas is a leading scholar of ethnic conflict whose early work pioneered a framework to explore why states sometimes try to eliminate or expel some minority groups while trying to co-opt and assimilate others. Radnitz is an expert on authoritarianism and politics in the post-Soviet space with a keen understanding of the politics of conspiracy theories. In Enemies Within, they have combined their insights and those of a stellar group of contributors to produce the leading work on "fifth column" politics and yet another insightful exploration of domestic politics in the shadow of interstate conflict. * Nicholas Sambanis, The University of Pennsylvania * Why does politics in some countries at some times become dominated by fears of fifth columns? Based on case studies from across the globe and from different time periods, this fascinating volume uncovers the political, social and economic conditions that turn minority populations into internal enemies and makes clear that the "politics of fifth columns" is a frightening common occurrence in democratic and authoritarian regimes alike. * Sheri Berman, Columbia University * Why and when are citizens labelled traitors or enemies within? This groundbreaking new book finds that domestic minorities are typically targeted when they are not well integrated into historical narratives of national belonging and when fifth column claims can undermine domestic political rivals. Written by the best scholars in the field, this exciting book will undoubtedly serve as a touchstone volume for future research seeking to understand the politics of fifth columns. * Maya Tudor, Oxford University * This is a tightly integrated and focused work that sheds new light on the politics of 'fifth columns.' The chapters are written by some of the most outstanding scholars in comparative politics, international relations, and political sociology. Read together, they provide fascinating insights into the conditions under which domestic minorities are portrayed, most often wrongly, as allies of the forces of evil and what consequences they suffer. Sadly enough, this is a very timely topic. * Andreas Wimmer, Columbia University * Enemies Within opens a new field of study. There are scant references to the bewildering phenomenon of fifth columns in the literature, but the contributors to this intriguing volume show the widespread use of 'fifth column politics' in many different historical and geographical contexts. They masterfully dissect the concept and provide impressive, rigorous, and very rich case studies. * Ignacio Sanchez-Cuenca, author of The Historical Roots of Political Violence *