What Do We Know about Civil Wars?

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Book Description

Since the end of World War II, interstate wars have been surpassed by civil wars as the most common and lethal form of armed conflict found across the globe. How can we predict when and where civil wars are likely to break out, when and how they are likely to come to an end, and whether or not civil wars will occur again in the future? In this timely book, leading scholars guide us through what the latest research tells us about the onset, duration, outcomes, and recurrence of civil wars, as well as the ongoing consequences of conflicts in war-torn countries such as Syria, Sudan, and Rwanda. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the topic of civil wars or the ongoing effects of conflicts in countries such as Syria, Sudan, and Rwanda. The authors, in the process of mapping out the current state of our knowledge about civil conflicts, identify what it is that we do not know about civil wars. This book discusses emerging topics in the study of civil war, such as transitional justice institutions in post-conflict environments, the “resource curse,” the role of women, and the relationship between civil conflict and the environment. The authors also highlight new trends in the collection of data on civil wars, which have made it possible for academics to investigate the geographical and temporal patterns of armed conflict. This authoritative text provides not only an understandable and up-to-date overview of the state of the art but also a road map for the direction of future research.