Civil war has long inspired- and, indeed, necessitates- significant research into its likely causes, its characteristics, and its consequences. In recent years, a model of civil war onset developed by Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler has proven to be especially influential.
Using large-N econometric tests, Collier and Hoeffler demonstrated that, for given levels of political and social grievance, the greater the opportunity for organized rebellion within a country, the more likely civil war is to occur. Additionally, they argued that the existence of such opportunity is largely determined by particular socioeconomic conditions, such as widespread poverty, low levels of education, and heavy dependence on natural resources.
Understanding Civil War uses the Collier-Hoeffler model as a point of departure. Not only does it apply the model  to a set of case studies in order to learn more about them, but it also studies the model itself, using the cases to revise and expand the model. In so doing, it moves beyond correlations and delves into how and when the variables identified by Collier and Hoeffler lead to civil war. By tracing out the process of conflict escalation, the book takes the next step toward explaining when, where, and why civil war is likely to occur. The book advances our theoretical and empirical understanding of civil war and takes us closer to the goal of developing appropriate policy interventions to reduce the prevalence of civil war.
This thoughtful analysis will be of particular interest to policy makers, students, and social scientists, as well as anyone interested in the relationship between economic development and violent political conflict.

Foreword
Preface

1. The collier-hoeffler model of civil war onset and the case study project research design
2. Civil war and its duration in Burundi
3. The economics of civil war: the case of the democratic republic of Congo
4. Theory versus reality: civil war onset and avoidance in Nigeria Since 1960
5. Sporadic Ethnic violence: Why has Kenya not Experienced a Full-Blown Civil War?
6. The civil war in Mozambique: The balance between Internal and external influences
7. Sudan´s civil war: Why has is prevailed for so long?
8. Algeria, 1992-2002: Anatomy of a civil war
9. Senegal and Mali.
10. Conclusion: Using case studies to refine and expand the theory of civil war.

Contributors
Index