Description
Book SynopsisWhy do rebel groups frequently clash instead of cooperating against their shared enemy, the state? Examining the dynamics of civil wars in Iraq, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Syria, Costantino Pischedda argues that infighting is a calculated response by rebel groups to perceived opportunities and vulnerabilities.
Trade ReviewPischedda offers a compelling argument for when and why fighting occurs between rebels. He skillfully builds on existing scholarship while breaking significant new theoretical and empirical ground. Civil war and insurgency will continue to be the most common forms of conflict for the foreseeable future, ensuring that
Conflict Among Rebels will generate strong interest from scholars, policy makers, and the general public alike. -- Peter Krause, author of
Rebel Power: Why National Movements Compete, Fight, and WinCostantino Pischedda has written an important book that is required reading for anyone interested in the dynamics of civil war. He outlines a clear and compelling argument about the conditions under which insurgent groups, especially those sharing an ethnic identity, go to war with one another. He supports his claims with careful case evidence from a range of contexts, as well as statistical data. The book offers valuable and thought-provoking insights into the complex politics in alignment in internal conflict. -- Paul Staniland, author of
Networks of Rebellion: Explaining Insurgent Cohesion and CollapseWhy do rebel groups in civil wars so often turn upon each other instead of focusing on their common enemy—the state? In this insightful and meticulously researched book, Costantino Pischedda argues that inter-rebel violence is a strategic choice by the rebels. It begins when powerful rebel groups see windows or opportunity to consolidate their position as the prime challenger to the state, or when weaker groups attack their rivals in a bid to “gamble for resurrection.”
Conflict Among Rebels should be read by anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the dynamics and consequences of civil wars today. -- Benjamin Valentino, author of
Final Solutions: Mass Killing and Genocide in the Twentieth CenturyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments
1. Wars Within Wars
2. Windows of Opportunity, Windows of Vulnerability, and Inter-rebel War
3. Inter-rebel War in the Shadow of Genocide: The Kurdish Insurgencies in Iraq
4. Parallel Paths to Ethnic Hegemony: Insurgencies in Ethiopia’s Eritrea and Tigray
5. Inter-rebel War in Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Syria
6. Are Coethnic Rebel Groups More Likely to Fight Each Other? A Statistical Test
Conclusions
List of Acronyms
Notes
Index
