Counterinsurgency and Civil War

Since the end of World War II, civil wars have killed vastly more people than interstate wars. Oftentimes, these conflicts have taken on the character of insurgencies, with rebels utilizing guerrilla tactics against more powerful state opponents. The goal of this course is provide students with a theoretical and historical understanding of this increasingly dominant form of conflict. Specific topics explored include the causes of civil war, mobilization and recruitment into rebel groups, patterns of violence, counterinsurgency, war termination, conflict recurrence, and the aftermath of civil war. Enrollment limited to 20 junior and senior Political Science or International Relations concentrators.