There are numerous conflicts around the world concerning the ownership of territories, annexations, and secessions. Discussions between the parties involved often bring up emotionally charged historical events that are intended to prove or disprove claims. This book shows that this type of argumentation is futile and does not provide a suitable basis for resolving such conflicts. Starting with a definition of the terms “people,” “nation,” and “state,” the book describes and develops the legal and philosophical foundations that can be used to objectively assess and resolve territorial conflicts. These rules are then applied to specific examples, ranging from South Tyrol to Palestine, Catalonia, Kosovo, California, Eastern Ukraine, Kashmir, and East Timor. The book is aimed not only at academics but also at citizens with an interest in history and politics who want to better understand territorial conflicts and form their own informed opinion on how they may be resolved.



This book explores territorial conflicts worldwide and argues that historical claims often hinder resolution. It offers a legal and philosophical framework to assess such disputes objectively, with case studies from South Tyrol to Palestine. For scholars and curious citizens alike.



Ulrich Hammerschmidt’s “Annexation, Secession, Occupation—Confusion: Backgrounds and Solutions to Territorial Conflicts” is a most welcome addition to the professional literature on nations, nationalism, and national conflict. Theoretically sophisticated, conceptually exact, legalistically informed, and empirically rich, Hammerschmidt’s highly original book has the inestimable advantage of being grounded in practical common sense, thereby offering a persuasive road map for the resolution of national conflicts and territorial disputes.

—Alexander Motyl, Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University-Newark