The Intervener: Lone Wolf or ... ? Cooperation between Interveners in Civil Wars

Abstract

Dunér, B. The Intervener: Lone Wolf or ... ? Cooperation between Interveners in Civil Wars. Cooperation and Conflict, XVIII, 1983, 197-213.

In a civil war, external actors may either oppose one another or rally to the assistance of the same internal party. The latter situation is in focus in this article. It is sometimes assumed that certain external powers make use of others to promote their aims vis-à-vis a civil war. The author argues that the idea of asymmetry does not lead anywhere. The alternative perspective of military cooperation between interveners is elaborated. Four aspects of military cooperation are singled out, and the formation of hypotheses and related methodological questions discussed. An empirical analysis of major civil wars in the 1970s is presented. In most cases in which at least two interveners assisted the same internal party there tends to have been some form of military cooperation. Moreover, the extent of collaboration in individual cases is related to the number of interveners involved.