• Shiggles@sh.itjust.works
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    9 months ago

    Balkanize as a verb just means to break up into several smaller states, often but not always based off common culture/language/religion, similar to what happened to both Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Yugoslavia.

      • Shiggles@sh.itjust.works
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        9 months ago

        It was first used after the first world war to describe what had happened to the region post Austria-Hungary and Ottomans/the balkan wars that preceded ww1. Darkly humorous that the balkans themselves have been balkanized more than once, though.

        • 0x4E4F@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
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          9 months ago

          More than once, ha 🤣. I don’t think anyone keeps count 🤣.

          There have been wars here since forever. It’s a crossroad that connects South-East Asia with Europe.