| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Power |
| Editors | Keith Dowding |
| Place of Publication | Thousand Oaks, California |
| Publisher | Sage Publications Inc |
| Pages | 101-102pp |
| Volume | 1 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781412927482 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Abstract
Civil wars occur between different groups within a nation-state so that one group can take control of the apparatus of the state. Sometimes groups that want to secede part of the country from the nation-state also fight conflicts described as civil war. To distinguish civil wars from other disputes, conflicts, or terrorism within a state, most academics recognize that at least 1,000 casualties are required for a conflict to be termed a civil war. The number of conflicts deemed civil wars in the 20th century is much higher than in the preceding century, almost certainly because of the increase in the number of nation-states and because of the end of colonial empires in Africa and Asia. The cold war has also been a factor.