Irredentism: Difference between revisions

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[[File:RegioniIrredenteItalia.jpg|thumb|alt=Map of Kingdom of Italy (1919)|The term ''irredentism'' originated from the Italian phrase ''Italia irredenta'' ("unredeemed Italy"). The green, red and purple areas in this map of [[Italy]] from 1919 show some of the areas which were claimed by [[Italian irredentism|Italian irredentists]].|267x267px]]'''Irredentism''' is one [[State (polity)|state]]'s desire to [[Annexation|annex]] the territory of another state. This desire can be motivated by [[Ethnicity|ethnic]] reasons because the population of the territory is ethnically similar to the population of the parent state.{{efn|In this context, "parent state" is a technical term for the state that intends to absorb the territory.{{sfn|White|Millett|2019|pp=419–426}}}} Historical reasons may also be responsible, i.e., that the territory previously formed part of the parent state.{{sfn|White|Millett|2019|p=419}}{{sfn|Griffiths|O'Callaghan|Roach|2008|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9vU7xX4eNf4C&pg=PA175 175–177]}}{{sfn|Kornprobst|2008|pp=8–10}} However, difficulties in applying the concept to concrete cases have given rise to academic debates about its precise definition. Disagreements concern whether either or both ethnic and historical reasons have to be present and whether [[non-state actor]]s can also engage in irredentism. A further dispute is whether attempts to absorb a full neighboring state are also included. There are various types of irredentism. For typical forms of irredentism, the parent state already exists before the territorial conflict with a neighboring state arises. However, there are also forms of irredentism in which the parent state is newly created by uniting an ethnic group spread across several countries. Another distinction concerns whether the country to which the disputed territory currently belongs is a regular state, a former [[colony]], or a collapsed state.