Civil war

A civil war is a war between groups inside the same state (or country). One group may want to take control of the country, to make a region independent (independence), or to change the government’s rules. The word comes from Latin bellum civile, which described wars in ancient Rome.

Many civil wars today get help from other countries. After World War II, most fights inside countries had support from outside. Civil wars can be big and last for many years, sometimes with full armies fighting.

Some countries, like Somalia, Burma (Myanmar), Uganda, and Angola, had very hard times during their civil wars.

Formal classification

A civil war is a fight inside a country where groups try to take control of the government or a part of the country. People have different ideas about what makes a civil war. Some think it needs to have many people hurt, but they do not agree on exactly how many.

The Geneva Conventions do not name "civil war," but they have rules for fights that are not between countries. The International Committee of the Red Cross has ideas to help decide when these rules should be used.

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 on things like oil or minerals may have a higher chance of civil war.

Second, some believe it is about grievance—where people fight because they feel treated unfairly. 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, 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 fights between groups inside the same country. They often happen to change the government, get independence, or change rules. In the past, civil wars in Europe were usually short because strong governments could stop rebellions quickly. But after World War II, civil wars became longer. This was because many new countries were weak and did not have strong governments.

Since 1945, many civil wars have lasted a long time. Outside powers sometimes helped both sides, which kept the fighting going. The Cold War also made civil wars last longer because big countries got involved. Today, civil wars can hurt a country's economy. They can make it hard for the country to grow and recover.