In this volume an international team explores the historical dimensions of a pervasive and controversial issue of our time: the fate of ethnic groups in societies under severe stress. Although this book focusses on the extreme situations of the two world wars, parallels with more recent eruptions of violence and the widespread re-emergence of racism in the wake of dislocation and disorientation of large populations are striking. This pioneering book fills an obvious gap in the field of minority history and the study of war and society.