This book proposes a novel theory of self-determination: the rule of the great
powers. This book argues that traditional legal norms on self-determination
have failed to explain and account for recent results of secessionist selfdetermination
struggles. While secessionist groups like the East Timorese, the
Kosovar Albanians, and the South Sudanese have been successful in their quests
for independent statehood, other similarly situated groups have been relegated
to an at times violent existence within their mother states. Thus, Chechens
still live without signifi cant autonomy within Russia, and the South Ossetians
and the Abkhaz have seen their confl icts frozen because of the peculiar
geopolitical equilibrium of power within the Caucuses region.
The rule of the great powers asserts that only those self-determinationseeking
entities that enjoy the support of the majority of the most powerful
states (the great powers) will ultimately have their rights to self-determination
fulfi lled. The great powers, potent military, economic and political powerhouses
such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan, the United Kingdom, France,
Germany, and Italy, often dictate self-determination outcomes through their
infl uence in global affairs. Issues of self-determination in the modern world
can no longer be effectively resolved through the application of traditional
legal rules; rather, resort must be had to novel theories, such as the rule of the
great powers.
This book will be of particular interest to academics and students of law,
political science, and international relations.