title: Understanding Ethnic Minorities in Eastern Europe
abstract: This chapter presents a summary examination of ethnic minorities in Eastern Europe. It provides a historical overview of the development of the concept of ethnic minorities, which will show how the emergence and change of state borders in the region have produced ethnically diverse states out of empires. The chapter sketches some of the key ideas on how ethnic groups matter in society and politics. It outlines general dynamics of ethnic relations, mobilisation, and group goals, and then turns to