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Violence after War

Explaining Instability in Post-Conflict States

Michael J. Boyle

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Developing a better understanding of the dynamics of violence in post-war states can lead to a more durable peace.

The end of one war is frequently the beginning of another because the cessation of conflict produces two new challenges: a contest between the winners and losers over the terms of peace, and a battle within the winning party over the spoils of war. As the victors and the vanquished struggle to establish a new political order, incidents of low-level violence frequently occur and can escalate into an unstable peace or renewed conflict. Michael J. Boyle evaluates the dynamics of post...

Developing a better understanding of the dynamics of violence in post-war states can lead to a more durable peace.

The end of one war is frequently the beginning of another because the cessation of conflict produces two new challenges: a contest between the winners and losers over the terms of peace, and a battle within the winning party over the spoils of war. As the victors and the vanquished struggle to establish a new political order, incidents of low-level violence frequently occur and can escalate into an unstable peace or renewed conflict. Michael J. Boyle evaluates the dynamics of post-conflict violence and their consequences in Violence after War.

In this systematic comparative study, Boyle analyzes a cross-national dataset of violent acts from 52 post-conflict states and examines, in depth, violence patterns from five recent post-conflict states: Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, East Timor, and Iraq.

In each of the case studies, Boyle traces multiple pathways through which violence emerges in post-conflict states and highlights how the fragmentation of combatants, especially rebel groups, produces unexpected and sometimes surprising shifts in the nature, type, and targets of attack. His case studies are based on unpublished data on violent crime, including some from fieldwork in Kosovo, East Timor, and Bosnia, and a thorough review of narrative and witness accounts of the attacks. The case study of Iraq comes from data that Boyle obtained directly from U.S. Central Command, published here for the first time.

Violence after War will be essential reading for all those interested in political violence, peacekeeping, and post-conflict reconstruction.

Reviews

Reviews

Theoretically rigorous and methodologically sound.

An excellent contribution in the area of security studies...[that] requires the reader to engage with the detailed analysis of the different forms and pathways of violence in postwar countries. The book is elegantly written and provides a nuanced discussion.

Valuable...

Despite two decades of scholarship on civil wars, little has been written on the violence that often pervades post-conflict societies—that is until now. Violence after War fills a large void in our understanding of post-conflict violence and does so with tremendous insight and detail. I recommend it highly.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6.125
x
9.25
Pages
448
ISBN
9781421412573
Illustration Description
8 b&w illus.
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. The Challenge of Violence in Post-Conflict States
Part I: Unpacking Violence after Wars
2. Understanding Violence after Wars: Concepts and Contexts
3. Explaining

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. The Challenge of Violence in Post-Conflict States
Part I: Unpacking Violence after Wars
2. Understanding Violence after Wars: Concepts and Contexts
3. Explaining Violence after Wars: Patterns and Pathways
Part II: Five Case Studies of Post-Conflict Violence
4. Bosnia-Herzegovina
5. Rwanda
6. Kosovo
7. East Timor
8. Iraq
Part III: Producing Peace after Wars
9. Controlling Violence: Implications and Policy Recommendations
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Author Bio
Featured Contributor

Michael J. Boyle

Michael J. Boyle is an assistant professor of political science at La Salle University and a regular contributor to the Guardian newspaper. He has published widely on terrorism, insurgency, and political violence.