International observers frequently attribute the vicious and prolonged nature of civil wars to the irrational beliefs of the combatants or the irreconcilable goals at the base of the conflict. A visceral devotion to kith and kin and the indivisibility of resources and territory are often seen as the primary reasons for the intractability of modern internal conflicts. This study draws on data from civil wars in Asia, Africa and Latin America to argue that the structure of conflict itself - rather than simply the beliefs or goals of combatants - can help explain why some civil wars drag on past the point of which it would seem in the best interests of belligerents to lay down their arms. Potential interveners - whether individual states or international organisations - must be sensitive to the structural obstacles to negotiated settlements and formulate their plans for intervention accordingly.

Adelphi Paper 308.

Introduction--Ch. 1 How Civil Wars End: Problems and Patterns--Ch. 2 The Structure of Civil Wars--Ch. 2 Strategies of War Termination--Conclusion.