Abstract

Ongoing American involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq raises fundamental questions about this great power's historical experiences with nation-building, specifically its ability to learn from the past. It is certainly true that the United States has been an active nation-builder, aiming not only to put states back together but ultimately to transform and recreate societies. In 1995, it took the lead in ending the violence that engulfed Bosnia-Herzegovina. American efforts in this Balkan country provide an excellent case study to evaluate its ability to learn and improve upon its policies. Looking briefly at the literature on learning and then at Bosnia's reconstruction, this articler argues that the Bush administration's ideological beliefs, specifically what some have called "doctrinal unilateralism," have led this administration to ignore important lessons wrought from the Balkans.