Territorial aspects of conflict settlements and the recognition conundrum

This chapter brings to the fora existing scholarly discussions on the merits and flaws of territorial partitions from an empirical standpoint. It shifts incompatibility of territories and ‘selves’ at the centre of an explanation of why conflict settlements usually fail and then examines conditions necessary for territorial adjustments and border corrections to materialise. When adversaries cannot agree on one issue under contention, then ideally, linking issues and proposing a fair division may result in exchange of land for peace. In the end, the chapter links the wealth of literature on territorial conflicts and partitions to de facto states’ secessionist and the parent states’ counter-secessionist acts.