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Ethnic Cleavages and Irregular War: Iraq and Vietnam

Author

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  • Stathis N. Kalyvas

    (stathis.kalyvas@yale.edu)

  • Matthew Adam Kocher

    (matthew.kocher@cide.edu)

Abstract

The conflict in Iraq has been portrayed as “ethnic†civil war, a radically different conflict from “ideological†wars such as Vietnam. We argue that such an assessment is misleading, as is its theoretical foundation, which we call the “ethnic war model.†Neither Iraq nor Vietnam conforms to the ethnic war model's predictions. The sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni militias is not simply the outcome of sectarian cleavages in Iraqi society, but to an important extent, a legacy of U.S. occupation. On the other hand, although Vietnam was a society riven by ethnic cleavages, the Vietnam War also fails to conform to the ethnic war model. We show that there is no necessary overlap between ethnic conflict and ethnic war. Some ethnic conflicts evolve into ethnic wars, and others develop dynamics virtually indistinguishable from those of ideological civil wars. We suggest that the state's role is essential in transforming conflicts into either ethnic or irregular wars. We conclude with an analysis of the current situation and future prospects in Iraq.

Suggested Citation

  • Stathis N. Kalyvas & Matthew Adam Kocher, 2007. "Ethnic Cleavages and Irregular War: Iraq and Vietnam," Politics & Society, , vol. 35(2), pages 183-223, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:polsoc:v:35:y:2007:i:2:p:183-223
    DOI: 10.1177/0032329207302403
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fearon, James D. & Laitin, David D., 2000. "Violence and the Social Construction of Ethnic Identity," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 54(4), pages 845-877, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew M. Linke & Frank D. W. Witmer & John O'Loughlin, 2012. "Space-Time Granger Analysis of the War in Iraq: A Study of Coalition and Insurgent Action-Reaction," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 402-425, September.
    2. Schutte, Sebastian & Ruhe, Constantin & Linke, Andrew, 2020. "How indiscriminate violence fuels religious conflict: Evidence from Kenya," SocArXiv kngq2, Center for Open Science.
    3. Muhsin Ali & Karim Khan, 2023. "Violent Conflict and Informal Institutions: Evidence from a Civil Conflict in Pakistan (Article)," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 62(2), pages 235-264.

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