Ending Civil Wars

Are civil wars vicious and prolonged because the combatants have irreconcilable goals?

Are the visceral devotion to kith and kin and the indivisibility of resources and territory the primary reasons for the intractable nature of modern conflicts?

Charles King argues that the structure of conflict itself rather than simply the beliefs or goals of the warring factions can help explain why civil wars drag on past the point where it appears in everyone's best interest to lay down their arms.

He asserts that potential intervenors whether individual states or international organizations must be sensitive to the structural obstacles to negotiated settlements, and formulate their plans accordingly.

Drawing on data from civil wars in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Ending Civil Wars will be of interest to policymakers, international relations experts, military planners, and negotiation theorists.