Civil war

A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies. The term comes from Latin bellum civile, which described the civil wars of the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC.

Most modern civil wars involve help from outside countries. Since the end of World War II, about two thirds of conflicts inside countries had some international involvement. Civil wars are often intense and large, sometimes involving regular armies and lasting many years.

Since 1945, civil wars have caused the deaths of over 25 million people and forced many more to leave their homes. Countries like Somalia, Burma (Myanmar), Uganda, and Angola faced serious problems after being caught in civil wars.

Formal classification

A civil war is a violent conflict inside a country where organized groups fight to gain control of the government or a region, or to change policies. Scholars have different ways to define what counts as a civil war. Some say it needs to have more than 1,000 casualties in total, while others require more than 1,000 casualties each year.

The Geneva Conventions do not specifically define "civil war," but they talk about rules for "armed conflict not of an international character," which includes civil wars. The International Committee of the Red Cross has given some guidelines to help understand when these rules apply.

Causes

There are three main reasons why civil wars happen. First, some think it is about greed—where people fight because they want money or resources. For example, countries that rely heavily on things like oil or minerals have a higher chance of civil war because these resources can be easily controlled.

Second, some believe it is about grievance—where people fight because they feel treated unfairly due to things like their ethnicity or religion. However, studies show this is not always the main reason.

Third, opportunity plays a big role. When a country is poor, has weak governments, or has tough terrain like mountains, it becomes easier for groups to start a rebellion. These factors make it simpler for people to organize and fight.

Other reasons include problems in governing, where leaders do not trust each other or the public, making peace hard to achieve. Big populations and poor areas can also increase the chances of a civil war. Overall, many different factors can lead to civil wars, and they often work together.

Duration and effects

Civil wars are conflicts between groups within the same country, often fought to gain control of the government, achieve independence, or change policies. In the past, civil wars in Europe were usually short because strong governments could quickly crush rebellions. However, after World War II, civil wars became longer, partly because many new countries were weak and lacked strong governments.

Since 1945, many civil wars have lasted much longer, often because outside powers supported both sides, which helped keep the fighting going. The Cold War also played a role, as superpowers often got involved in civil wars, making them last even longer. Today, civil wars can have serious effects on a country's economy, often reducing growth and making it harder for the country to recover.