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Winner, Joseph S. Lepgold Book Prize (Georgetown University)

Winner, 2015 Best Book Award (Human Rights Section, International Studies Association)

Winner, Conflict Processes Section Best Book Award (American Political Science Association

In Making and Unmaking Nations, Scott Straus seeks to explain why and how genocide takes place—and, perhaps more important, how it has been avoided in places where it may have seemed likely or even inevitable. To solve that puzzle, he examines postcolonial Africa, analyzing countries in which genocide occurred and where it could have but did not. Why have there not been other Rwandas? Straus finds that deep-rooted ideologies—how leaders make their nations—shape strategies of violence and are central to what leads to or away from genocide. Other critical factors include the dynamics of war, the role of restraint, and the interaction between national and local actors in the staging of campaigns of large-scale violence.

Grounded in Straus's extensive fieldwork in contemporary Africa, the study of major twentieth-century cases of genocide, and the literature on genocide and political violence, Making and Unmaking Nations centers on cogent analyses of three nongenocide cases (Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal) and two in which genocide took place (Rwanda and Sudan). Straus's empirical analysis is based in part on an original database of presidential speeches from 1960 to 2005. The book also includes a broad-gauge analysis of all major cases of large-scale violence in Africa since decolonization. Straus's insights into the causes of genocide will inform the study of political violence as well as giving policymakers and nongovernmental organizations valuable tools for the future.

Press Reviews

Making and Unmaking Nations

"The originality of Straus's study lies in his focus on the intersection of local and national actors in their approach to ideas such as nationalism, violence and power. . . . Making and Unmaking Nations is an original and interesting book."—Caroline Varin, International Affairs (July/August 2015)

Making and Unmaking Nations

"It is clear that Straus is interested in honestly exploring why genocides occur--and do not occur--rather than selecting favorable cases to promote a preconceived policy or theoretical agenda. . . . In the final analyis, this is a great book for anyone interested in studying genocide, state formation in Africa, the power-of-elite narrative, and policy responses to genocide."—Dan G. Cox, Miltary Review (January-February 2016)

Making and Unmaking Nations

"Scott Straus has written an extremely important book, arguing that genocide has crucial ideological foundations, but that these conditions only lead to genocide when situational incentives drive a process of escalation. This contribution highlights the central role of ideas as a cause of genocide, while also outlining forces of restraint that can hold mass categorical violence at bay. Anyone interested in political violence must engage with this book. . . . Making and Unmaking Nations...more

is a major achievement. Not only does it help us better understand the ever-vexing question of genocide, but it also identifies key open questions for future research and offers a set of useful policy diagnostics and prescriptions. As the prospect of mass killing looms over ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, this is a particularly timely and important work."—Paul Staniland, Perspectives on Politics (March 2016)

Making and Unmaking Nations

"Straus' previous book was a penetrating analysis of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Here, he returns to the issue of large-scale ethnic violence in Africa, demonstrating an impressive command of the historical material to contrast the cases of Rwanda and Sudan, where genocides took place, with three cases in which ethnic conflict did not reach that point (Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal). In the end, he concludes,

whether interethnic strife results in genocide depends almost entirely on national leadership."—Nicolas van de Walle, Foreign Affairs (May/June 2016)

Experts

"Making and Unmaking Nations is essential reading for anyone concerned about the nature of state violence in the twenty-first century and finding practical measures to prevent it. In this reasoned and carefully written book, Scott Straus presents high-quality analysis of the causes and processes of genocide. He finds that the character of official statements over decades—either portraying exclusionary visions of a pure nation or promoting inclusion of plural communities—frames how...more

state violence is deployed during conflicts. This brilliant book shows how the climate of political discourse at the highest levels can tip the balance toward genocide or toward deescalation."—Will Reno, Northwestern University, author of Warlord Politics and African States

"Making and Unmaking Nations is a true tour de force that will set the standard for scholars of genocide and ethnic conflict for years to come. Straus's contributions to our understanding of these important subjects are significant and manifold: He breaks major new theoretical ground and synthesizes it with what we know from the last decade of genocide research. The case studies are extraordinarily rich and profoundly convincing. Straus’s mastery of sources and original interviews...more

in so many disparate cases is deeply impressive. The book’s focus on Sub-Saharan Africa is a very welcome departure from most other works on the subject. Straus also explores societies that avoided mass violence in much greater detail than previous scholarship. These cases lead to profound insights about why genocide happens and, more important, what we can do to stop it."—Benjamin Valentino, Dartmouth College, author of Final Solutions: Mass Killing and Genocide in the 20th Century

"By contrasting African countries that experienced genocides with African countries that might have experienced genocide but did not actually do so, Scott Straus has made a major contribution to genocide studies. His conclusion that political leadership and the 'founding narratives' of nations are the most important factors in determining outcomes is original and compelling."—Michael Mann, UCLA, author of The Dark Side of Democracy: Explaining Ethnic Cleansing

"Scott Straus knows Francophone as well as Anglophone Africa like the back of his hand. In this bold book, he turns the powerless lament after each genocide—'never again'—into a helpful insight: mass annihilation is actually more often than not prevented on the strength of ideas that make nations where categorical ‘otherness’ survives."—Stephen W. Smith, Duke University