Public Diplomacy in Conflict Zones: The Kosovo Case

How did the United States succeed in maintaining the support of American and allied publics during NATO's 78 day air campaign in Kosovo in 1999 -- a military intervention conducted against a sovereign country, without UN Security Council authorization, and which lasted far longer than American officials had foreseen? This case study examined the effectiveness of the U.S. media strategy at four crucial moments prior to and during the conflict: the Racak massacre, the Rambouillet conference, the first days of the air campaign and Serbian ethnic cleansing, and the endgame.

Read Mark Smith's Kosovo Case Study in the CPD Perspectives series.