Bismarck's opinion that the Balkans were not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier has long been heeded by hard-headed statesmen from Disraeli to Kissinger who warned against active involvement in the region. A sense of fatalism about the ability of local leaders and their populations to aspire to good government and 'civilised' conduct has long coloured Western policy towards south-east Europe.
But the statements and actions of powerful Western leaders in the recent war over Kosovo suggested that a break with past traditions may be occurring. Madeleine Albright, the US Secretary of State, declared to Congress in May that 'the Continent cannot be whole and free as long as its south-east corner is wracked by ethnic tensions and threatened with conflict'. With maps of the region by his side, President Clinton went on television to show the American people where Kosovo was and why the peace of Europe depended on securing justice for deported Kosovo refugees. Britain's prime minister Tony Blair delighted Albanian refugees by promising that they would all be able to return to their homes. Other leaders promised a new Marshall Plan for the region in order to integrate it economically with the rest of Europe.
A look at the role of the great powers in the Balkans over the last two hundred years shows that such clear statements of principles are uncharacteristic. Statesmen have been reluctant to act as peace-makers ....
