Award Date
8-1-2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Political Science
First Committee Member
Tiffany Howard
Second Committee Member
John Tuman
Third Committee Member
David Damore
Fourth Committee Member
Paul Werth
Number of Pages
144
Abstract
This study disaggregates civil wars into three types: conventional, irregular, and symmetrical nonconventional. Conventional and symmetrical nonconventional warfare are instances of conflict whereby the incumbent state and the insurgent enjoy equally heavy and sophisticated artillery (conventional) or equally light and rudimentary weaponry (symmetrical nonconventional). Irregular civil wars are fought when the incumbent enjoys clear militaristic superiority relative to the insurgent. This study suggests that economic grievances can expose states to irregular civil wars, while high religious fractionalization and high ethnic fractionalization in autocratic states can make them vulnerable to conventional and symmetrical nonconventional civil wars, respectively. Further, across the three types of civil wars, irregular civil wars are the deadliest for civilians. Conventional civil wars are the deadliest when it comes to estimating the number of battle-related casualties. Finally, and regardless of the type of civil war, a sustained increase in the wealth of nations has decisively helped states move toward consolidation against civil war, especially since the late 1920s.
Disciplines
Political Science
File Format
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Kardous, Karim, "Explaining the Dynamics of Civil War: Exposure, Violence, and Consolidation against Civil War" (2016). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2790.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/9302947
Rights
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